Winnipeg coach plays critical role

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This article was published 13/06/2022 (1537 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — This past week represented a Christmas of sorts for Canadian golf fans. And the man tasked with overseeing our country’s homegrown talent — Winnipegger Derek Ingram — admits there was an extra twinkle in his eye as he made his rounds at gorgeous St. George’s Golf & Country Club.

“Unreal week for golf in Canada, and for Golf Canada, and for just the fans of the game,” Ingram, the national men’s team coach, told the Free Press of the Canadian Open making its return after two cancelled years due to COVID.

A total of 21 players from the Great White North teed it up, and eight of those work directly under the mentorship and teaching of Ingram.

“From my standpoint selfishly, it gives some of the players on our amateur team who are one day going to be on the PGA Tour that experience to feel that,” he said. “And some of our young prospects get that opportunity as well. It’s just invaluable for their development.”

His star pupil is Corey Conners, currently the 31st ranked golfer in the world. The Ontario native fired a sizzling 62 on Sunday to finish in sixth place for the tournament, at minus-12 overall.

It wasn’t enough to catch defending champion Rory Mcllroy, who finished 19-under. There’s been no homegrown winner of the tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“Obviously in Canada you want to be Mike Weir, he’s won a major. And there’s other great Canadians on the tour as well,” Ingram said.

“But right now, at this point in time, it’s been CC. He’s also a great guy, really personable and really good to those players, giving up his time and his knowledge and mentoring them. And also great for me to be coaching him, a top-30 player in the world and working with our best amateurs and pros to share some of his experience and my experiences with basically the top 30 players in the game.”

Adam Svensson (T-21st), Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor (T-28th) and Adam Hadwin (T-35th) were the others Canadian PGA Tour regulars in the field this week. Taylor Pendrith would have been another, but he’s recovering from a broken rib.

“We had a really nice run here for a long time, graduating players to the PGA. And then a small lull for a couple years,” said Ingram.

“But now we’re starting to have some strength on the amateur side and young pro side where we’re going to transition players and put more on the PGA Tour. So it’s really a good time, and we’re starting to make some real good progress with that.”

Six Canadians made the cut including Manitoba’s Aaron Cockerill, who currently plays in Europe on the DP World Tour. He made his PGA Tour debut on a sponsor’s exemption and finished tied for 48th.

“I’ve been recommending that option for years to some of our best young players. But no one, to date, has had the kind of success Aaron has had,” said Ingram.

“A lot of guys are starting to reach out to either him or me to ask about that path. I do see it a a viable option for Canadians who want to be world class professional golfers. The PGA Tour only has 125 seats on the bus, and you also require a lot of luck to get out there. Aaron’s worked hard, maybe he’s made it look a little easy, but it has not been easy at all. He’s finally having some success now after plugging away for four to five years.”

Ingram flew home Sunday to quickly do some laundry and see his family, then heads back on the road Monday to join Conners at the U.S. Open in Massachusetts.

There’s plenty more travel in the weeks ahead, including other PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Canada tournaments his players are in.

There will also be a memorable personal stop in Montreal July 7 and 8 for the NHL draft. Ingram’s 18-year-old son, Adam, is projected to be a mid-round pick. He spent the last season playing for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL.

“We never dreamed of an NHL draft. We just wanted our kids to have friends and have fun in hockey. And here we are,” said Ingram.

“We’re pretty thrilled with it.”

As soon as the draft ends, Ingram will put his coach hat back on and fly across the pond to the British Open to work directly with Conners.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg