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Ascending the mountain
Even if you are an occasional reader of this column, you are likely aware that I have great respect for the athlete who gets to the top, who wins the big one, who goes that extra mile to outdistance the foes. No matter what the sport, finishing first is a very good thing. Especially in a sport played as an individual: tennis singles, for example, or golf.
Mind you, every athlete playing at the highest level has great team support: trainers, coaches, therapists, mentors, It is very hard to get there on your own.
Last weekend, Adam Svennsson fired a 20 under par 266 to earn medalist honours at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament. The 21-year-old hails from Surrey, British Columbia. He pocketed $25,000 for the win, and has earned fully-exempt status on the Web.com Tour for the 2016 season. The regular season begins in Panama City, Florida in late January.
Svennson spent two years at Barry University, but decided to turn pro last year, and played several events on the Mackenzie Tour- PGA Tour Canada. He was runner-up twice, and finished ninth in the Order of Merit in just six starts. He also finished in the top 25 in seven starts on the Web.com Tour.
He is philosophical about his career thus far: “I was pretty confident in my decision,” he remarked, referring to his choice to leave school early. “Just being able to start from the bottom and work your way up, I think that’s pretty important.”
This particular tournament is a four-day, 72-hole competition. There were more than 1,000 entries for the tournament, with stages that began in August. It is played at the PGA National Resort and Spa Champion Course. The holes from 15 to 17 are known in the golf world as “The Bear Trap,” made famous during play at the Honda Classic on the PGA Tour.
Svensson is the second Canadian ever to win the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament. Brad Fritsch won by seven shots last year, but after 108 holes. Fritsch picked up more than $100,000 last year, and finished second at one of the Web.com events. He has also played on the PGA Tour.
Three other Canadians competed in the event. Albin Choi and Taylor Pendrith tied for 14th, and Mackenzie Hughes finished 21st. Many of you had a chance to follow these players at Wildfire and at the Loyalist Course last summer.
Another goal for all of these young golfers is to play in the Olympics in Rio this coming summer. “I would love to play in the Olympics!” Svennson added. “It’s going to be hard, there’s a lot of good Canadians on the PGA Tour.”
Every one of the players on every one of these tours knows the difficulties involved in making the grade. Play must be spectacular, on a consistent basis. For this particular tournament, Svensson started strong with a 64, added a pair of 65 rounds, and cruised to the finish. He relished the opportunity: “It’s huge. It’s always tough to win at any level.”
There will be many more opportunities for all players to chase the dream. I hope to catch up with some of them in Florida.
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