Pushing each other to be better

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This article was published 19/07/2023 (1024 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sibling rivalries never die, and this week is no exception as the lifelong battle between Adam and Brent Ingram continues on the golf course.

The West St. Paul brothers will tee it up in the 112th edition of the Manitoba men’s amateur championship at Oak Island Resort (68 km southwest of Brandon), a 54-hole event set to begin Thursday.

The siblings, who pushed each other just as much in hockey growing up, have played in golf tournaments together since their days on the Maple Leaf Junior Golf Tour as 13-year-olds. Their lives are a bit busier these days, but they still relish the chance to best each other anytime they take to Elmhurst Country Club, where they both play during the summer.

“We definitely motivated each other to get better, and pushed each other in both sports,” said older brother Brent, 22.

“Up until fairly recently — as in the last couple of years — me and my brother were always very close in terms of golf growing up. There’s been times that my brother’s been probably even better than me at golf.”

That’s changed a bit as Adam’s hockey career has taken off. The big-bodied centre was a late-bloomer who found success as a 17-year-old in the United States Hockey League and was later selected by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2022 NHL draft.

As a result, golf has become more of a pastime. The 19-year-old, however, can still hold his own on the links.

“I’m happy that I for sure have (Brent) on the ice now,” said Adam, who plays hockey at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. “I have him on the ice guaranteed, and then on the course, I still like my chances but he can beat me, for sure.

“Obviously I’m a little bit more focused on hockey and that’s my main priority, but at the same time, I still love to golf — it’s my second favourite sport. So whenever I have the opportunity to go on the course — I put a lot of time into it still so I get out there and practice when I can…”

Adam recently returned home from a monthlong trip that began in St. Cloud, Minn., for a camp with his college team before skating at the Nashville Predators development camp. He’ll be home the rest of the summer and plans to get plenty of quality time on the course, beginning in this week’s men’s amateur.

“I just gotta stick to my game plan going in,” said Adam, who finished in a tie for 38th at last year’s amateur championship. “I still have some expectations for myself but I’m just gonna go out there and play my game and have fun. Not too much worry on my shoulders at all, just play and have fun.”

Meanwhile, Brent, who played competitive hockey until last year, has taken more to golf, which runs in the family. His dad, Derek Ingram, the head coach for Golf Canada’s National Men’s Amateur and Young Pro teams, is regarded as one of the best coaches in the country.

“He’s been great as a dad supporting me and also as a coach,” Brent said. “I definitely think it’s an asset. I wouldn’t say it’s a huge advantage because at the end of the day, I still have to go out there myself. That being said, my dad has helped me with a lot of things and I wouldn’t be where I was today without the work we’ve done.”

Brent is entering his fourth year on the University of Manitoba Bisons’ men’s golf team this fall and is as confident as he’s been in his game.

He will need to outclass a field of giants that make up Manitoba’s men’s amateur golf scene, including two-time defending champ Braxton Kuntz and former amateur champions Todd Fanning (1984, ‘90-92, 2014) and Marco Trstenjak (2020).

That’s not to say he’s not capable of capturing his first provincial crown. Brent shared a piece of the podium in last year’s men’s amateur at his home track, finishing the three-day event in a tie for third at three-over par.

“It’s definitely a little bit of a different mindset this year. Last year, I went into the amateur not really expecting too much… I was just going out there and taking it shot by shot and seeing what happens,” he said.

“This year, I’m taking the exact same mindset. This year, I maybe haven’t gotten the results that I’ve wanted thus far but I’m not letting that affect how I approach this tournament, because you never know what happens.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jfreysam