July 22, 2014
An Interview With:
JOEL DAHMEN
MICHAEL GLIGIC
EUGENE WONG
THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us
in the media center today. We have three players
from PGA TOUR Canada joining us today and it's
our second season of PGA TOUR Canada. As
you guys know, PGA TOUR Canada is a
stepping-stone to the Web.com TOUR and PGA
TOUR where these guys are playing for status on
the Web.com TOUR for next year. First on my
right is Michael Gligic, he's a winner on PGA
TOUR Canada two years ago from Burlington,
Ontario. In the middle we have the current Order
of Merit leader Joel Dahmen from Clarkston,
Washington, and on the far side we have Eugene
Wong from North Vancouver, British Columbia, a
two-time winner on PGA TOUR Canada. I'm going
to ask the guys to talk about their season and
what's going on with PGA TOUR Canada so far.
Joel won two of the first three events on
PGA TOUR Canada this year at the PC financial
Open and the Syncrude Boreal Open, so Joel, if
you don't mind just telling us a little bit about what
the level of competition is like on PGA TOUR
Canada and how you got off to such a hot start this
year.
JOEL DAHMEN: Yeah, so this is my fifth
year on PGA TOUR Canada, and the level of play
overall has rose a ton just the last two years with
the PGA TOUR's brand. I think our Q-school is
filled up in like two or three weeks, which is just
incredible, and I think we have 80 or 100 new
members. Just the level of play has just been
incredible this year, and I think it doesn't show in
the top score, the top score has always been
there, but just in making cuts. It's tough to make a
cut out there now. You really have to play good
golf.
But as far as getting off to a hot start, it's
been great. I played really well down in Arizona
during the winter on the Gateway Tour and just
kind of carried it over to the summer.
Yeah, it's nice to get off to a hot start, but
there's still six events left, and I think Tim Madigan
who's in second is only eight, nine, ten grand
behind me so it's going to be a close race with us.
THE MODERATOR: For yourself, you
were one of three players at the top of the Order of
Merit who played your way into the event this
week, the top three players on our Money List with
exempted into the Canadian Open each year. To
be at the top of that list is a big accomplishment.
Maybe talk about what kind of consistency it takes
from your game and what it takes to have played
your way into a PGA TOUR event.
JOEL DAHMEN: Yeah, the real goal is
being No. 1 or in the five at the end of the year, but
through six events, a good halfway goal is this
RBC and to be in the top three, and I think we've
always got a few guys in, even when the PGA
TOUR Canada -- we've always had a few guys,
and I think it was just -- after I won the first one, it
was a real goal of mine to be in the top three
coming into this and then to win again to lock it up
with three to go was nice.
But I think it's a great halfway point, kind of
breaks up the season for us. I think it adds a lot of
excitement. People were talking all last week if
Josh Persons is the guy at No. 3, he actually made
birdie on his last hole to get into the RBC and guys
were keeping track of that all week. I think it's just
a great halfway point on the year.
THE MODERATOR: Michael Gligic, you
played your way into the Canadian Open this week
by winning one of Golf Canada's regional qualifiers
in Ontario. For you it's obviously very special. It's
your second Canadian Open. Tell us what it
means to be playing back on the PGA TOUR this
week. You played in the Canadian Open two
years ago, but talk about what it means to be
competing out here and what kind of learning
experience that is.
MICHAEL GLIGIC: Yeah, this year was
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pretty special because I actually played my way in,
whereas 2012 I was third on the Order of Merit.
Top two got a spot in the RBC and I missed out on
earning my way in, so luckily I got a sponsor's
invite, and that was a good learning experience.
Playing my way in this year obviously feels a lot
better, and having that 2012 event under my belt, I
feel like really helps me. I was telling someone
earlier today how I felt even nervous I guess on the
driving range last year or two years ago in my first
RBC, where this year I almost feel like I should be
out here. I think we all kind of feel that way. The
level of play is so high now on PGA TOUR
Canada.
With the PGA TOUR behind it, they
actually start to feel like TOUR events, as well.
Yeah, last week was a good example. You've got
Thunder Bay, which you wouldn't think would have
that big of a crowd, and they have thousands of
people out, and 18 you cannot even find a spot to
watch kind of thing. It was a good preparation, and
all the events this year have been. I kind of feel at
home this week.
THE MODERATOR: For yourself, even
though you're only 24, you've been a professional
for seven years. You've seen a lot of cool
experiences. You've shot 60. You've won an
event. You've played your way on to a PGA TOUR
event. You've kind of seen the difference between
PGA TOUR Canada when it was the Canadian
Tour versus now, so maybe you could tell us a little
bit about the level of competition and what it's like
playing out there each week.
MICHAEL GLIGIC: Yeah, I think Joel kind
of said it earlier. The Q-schools, I mean, are -- I
think I talked to somebody and there's like an
80-person waiting list for the first Q-school as soon
as the PGA TOUR bought it. That was never
heard of when it was the Canadian Tour. The
Canadian Tour was struggling to even get half a
field for a Q-school kind of thing, and the Monday
qualifiers, I remember they were almost giving
spots out whereas now you've got -- I think Victoria
had two sites because there was 150 guys coming
up to Victoria to try to Monday qualify kind of thing.
The Tour is in high demand. Everybody wants to
play out here, and you've got guys coming from all
over the world, South Africa, Europe, South
America kind of thing.
Yeah, the Tour is doing real well, and
yeah, like Joel said, six events left, so I've got to
pick up my socks to try and catch this guy.
THE MODERATOR: Eugene Wong, it's
your fifth straight Canadian Open, so you've kind of
seen it as an up-and-coming promising amateur to
an established professional as you are now as a
two-time winner on PGA TOUR Canada. Talk
about what it's like to be playing on the PGA TOUR
this week in front of so many fans and supporters.
EUGENE WONG: This is my fifth one. I
started in St. George's. This is great for me
because I get to play my national open in front of
my hometown crowd.
Today I went out to play a practice round,
seeing a lot of Canadians was out there was great.
It feels like home and a little advantage because I
don't have anyone heckling me or anything like
that. That's all I can say is I feel very comfortable
right now. It's my fifth time out here.
THE MODERATOR:
It's kind of an
interesting story how you got in. You didn't know
you'd be playing until Sunday night when you were
offered a sponsor's exemption to get in the field.
Just maybe you could tell us a little bit about how
you felt once you knew you were going to be
playing in Montreal this week and you got that
spot.
EUGENE WONG: Yeah, so my mindset
was go home back to Vancouver, have a week
break and go to Calgary, play the next two events.
But after the 18th hole, Decker pulled me aside
and said, hey, you might want to call Bill Paul. I
said, all right, called him. He said, do you want a
spot? I'm like, yeah, I want a spot. So at that time
I was very excited. Also was very surprised
because my mindset was going back home. But
now, I mean, I'm just honored that I'm playing this
national open again.
THE MODERATOR: It's obviously a huge
week for these guys. I'm sure you have some
questions about what it's like for them to be playing
on the PGA TOUR this week.
Q. Each of you have referenced the
difference between the Canadian Tour and
what this is now as PGA TOUR Canada in
terms of playing, in terms of the qualifying
schools. Joel, you talked about the 80 or 100
guys or more that are members now and stuff
like that. I'd be curious from each of you, do
you see the difference now in terms of
attention on a week-to-week basis, whether it's
media, whether it's fans, whether it's corporate
support, anything from a business related
standpoint? Do you see differences from the
pre-PGA TOUR Canada days to what they are
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now?
JOEL DAHMEN: Yeah, I've played well a
few times in the past, but I think for me to win twice
and realize how many interviews and how much
media is actually around, from radio interviews to -just how much attention we're actually all getting. I
think it's kind of surprised me this year.
Every week I'm doing an interview with a
local paper or local radio or something like that,
and we've never really had that in the past.
And then I think just -- just the over all
branding and marketing. I know some of the
tournaments do a phenomenal job, and really I got
to play in a web event the week after fort Mac, it
was a week off on the Tour, and I didn't feel any
different. There was really no -- the only thing
honestly better was probably the food in the
clubhouse, and they cleaned my shoes in the
locker room.
But we even had that last week.
It's really been incredible. One more
grandstand in Indiana, but other than that, it really
felt the same as far as there's ropes, there's -even the crowds, like on Thursday and Friday
there's not a lot on the Web Tour, and I went out
Saturday for a little bit, and there was almost no
difference, especially in Thunder Bay. I don't know
if you had a number on that, but I've never seen a
crowd like that.
THE MODERATOR: Approximately a lot.
JOEL DAHMEN:
Yeah, it was
mindboggling how many people were out there in
Thunder Bay, and Winnipeg was great this year.
So yeah, for me, there's really no
difference, and even playing a practice round
there's a few more people around the chipping, the
practice area, but out on the course it's almost the
same, even the practice rounds. There's a few
more volunteers, but that's about it.
THE MODERATOR: Eugene, do you mind
following up on that a little bit?
EUGENE WONG: Yeah, I mean, Joel said
it great. I played a Web event in Halifax, and
compare it to Winnipeg after, they're both the
same.
The only difference is maybe there's
electronic scoreboards and maybe there's stats,
but other than that it's pretty much the same
throughout the board. Just feels like a Tour event,
even today's practice round is just like any other
week.
Q. Does this speak to you guys getting
to the next level, meaning the Web.com, on a
permanent basis that much easier? Is this
really what this is all about? I mean, it is, it's
trying to develop, to get to the next level, right?
Does this make it easier with this type of
branding, with this type of sort of synergy
between, say, the PGA TOUR Canada and what
the Web.com is?
MICHAEL GLIGIC: Yeah, I mean, these
guys have said it all. I guess you just want to know
in the difference in how it's almost a preparation.
Is that what you mean?
Like I don't know, a good example I guess
was when I played a Web event a few years ago.
Coming off of the Canadian Tour, moving up there,
the Canadian Tour had like no fans, it was very
limited in almost all aspects, and I go to the Web
event and I felt really uncomfortable. It was a lot of
people playing for a lot of money, kind of the
names, all that, whereas now that I've done it a
couple times and now that PGA TOUR Canada
has kind of grown, I just feel more comfortable,
even out here this week kind of thing. Thunder
Bay last week was a great preparation for
something like this, just the fans and all the little
things, too, just kind of behind the scenes.
The Web event that I played earlier this
year was the exact -- I guess these guys said it the
same. It felt like a PGA TOUR Canada event.
Yeah, hopefully I answered your question a little
bit.
Q. You guys as players need corporate
backing, corporate sponsors to get to the next
level. Do you think being on this Tour now that
it seems to have a higher profile and you can
use the word PGA TOUR with Canada, helps
you guys at all with getting corporate support,
corporate backing? Michael, I think you just
got a deal today, did you not?
MICHAEL GLIGIC: Yeah. Yeah, honestly
since the PGA TOUR took it over and obviously my
win a couple years ago helped, too, but since then
it's been a lot easier. I don't know how else to
really say it.
JOEL DAHMEN:
I don't know if it's
probably not quite official now, but next year or
even the coming years, club companies like
TaylorMade will start paying guys for playing on
PGA TOUR Canada. Not a lot, but normally it
starts on the Web level, but I think you're going to
start seeing it on PGA TOUR Canada. I've briefly
talked with a few people in discussions, and it may
even start next year with some of the top guys, and
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it may be performance based or something like
that, but now there's enough attention on PGA
TOUR Canada, and there's going to be more and
more guys graduating each year from PGA TOUR
Canada to the Web events, or to Web.com, that I
think they're going to start paying some guys just
as staffers, which has never happened in the past.
And I think just -- now we have
TaylorMade and Adams out there on the range.
We never used to have Ping there on Tuesday or
Wednesday, now they're there for a few club
fittings or whatever you need, and we have -what's the Tour van out there?
THE MODERATOR: The Golf Lab.
JOEL DAHMEN: We never used to have
that until PGA TOUR took it over. So little things
like that are starting out there, and I think it's huge.
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