Glen Abbey beckons again for Wheeldon
Comox golfer qualifies for Canadian Open
Riley Wheeldon was supposed to be home in the Comox Valley this week, resting up for the next PGA Tour Canada-Mackenzie Tour event.
His plans have changed. But you won’t hear Wheeldon complaining one bit.
That’s because he’s too busy getting his golf game ready to take on the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and defending champion Jhonattan Vegas.
Wheeldon will tee it up Thursday at the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. His impressive play in the final qualifier on Monday at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont., earned him one of four spots in the PGA Tour’s lone Canadian stop.
But if you ask Wheeldon, playing at Glen Abbey was the ultimate plan all along.
“I knew I would be out here anyway with the Mackenzie Tour and we have the week off so I went and walked Heron Point last week and decided to give it a go on Monday,” Wheeldon said after his first practice round at Glen Abbey on Tuesday morning.
But this PGA Tour stuff is nothing new for the 26-year-old Highland Secondary grad. This is his second Canadian Open and third PGA Tour event. He played in the 2013 Canadian Open and he Monday qualified for the Farmers Insurance Open in 2014.
And he learned one important lesson from his first time at Glen Abbey four years ago when he missed the cut.
“Ya, that I’m a player first, not a fan,” he said.
“I was kind of in awe in 2013, taking photos, getting autographs and really nervous on the course. This time, less photos, more golf. Just have to treat it like any other golf tournament. I know I have the game to compete out here, it’s just a matter of staying focused and doing it.”
And it won’t hurt that the famed course is in terrific shape.
“It’s in way better shape than when I played it in 2013,” added Wheeldon. “It’s just a lot healthier, more mature and a pleasure to play on.”
Wheeldon will tee it up Thursday at 1:55 p.m. ET along side Miguel Angel Carballo of Argentina and American Bobby Wyatt. And they’ll start on the 10th tee as golfers go off the first and 10th holes for the first two rounds.
“I don’t know Miguel or Bobby personally but I’ve heard their names before.
“And I like starting on the 10th [hole]. It’s a medium length par-4 that I can use my cut driver on so I’m looking forward to it.”
Wheeldon, like fellow Canadians Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Graham DeLaet and Mike Weir, will also have the home crowd behind him.
“That should be fun. These fans always seem to support the Canadians.”
After his stop at Glen Abbey, Wheeldon plans to join back up with the Mackenzie Tour next weekend for the Syncrude Oil Country Championship at the Windermere Golf and Country Club in Edmonton.
After a slow start to the 2017 Mackenzie Tour, Wheeldon has picked it up of late and finished 28th at the Stall Foundation Open in Thunder Bay, Ont., to bring his season money total to $1,756.
“It was a grind at the start of the season but I’m finally starting to see the benefits of some of things I’ve been working on this season and that’s why I’m really excited about this weekend. I can put the hard work to the test under pressure and against some of the best golfers in the world and on a world class golf course.”
Even if it does mean more time away from home.
“I would have been home right now, but now it looks like it’ll be another three or four weeks before I’m back, but this is what I love to do and to do it on a stage like Glen Abbey is a dream come true.”