SOUTHERN ALBERTA✦GOLF GUIDE
MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010 ✦ Lethbridge Herald – Medicine Hat News – 3
Ready for his close-up
Lethbridge golfer Mike Mezei has been playing on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour for five years and says he’s ready for the next step
Dale Woodard
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
sports@lethbridgeherald.com
M
ike Mezei is knocking on the door. And if the golfer from Lethbridge has his way, some of those doors will be opening up as Mezei ventures into
Southern Alberta Newspaper photo
Mike Mezei is looking forward to taking a big step in his pro golf career this season.
another golf season on the Canadian Tour. But the Canadian Tour won’t be Mezei’s only focus as the southern Alberta golfer also eyes qualifiers for the U.S. Open, British Open and the Nationwide Tour. “I’m looking forward to a lot of chances to do some fun stuff,” said Mezei. “Getting your foot in the door on the Nationwide Tour is huge. The more experience I’ve had and the more I’ve been around PGA Tour players, there are a lot of players that can get their PGA Tour cards and keep it. But getting there is toughest part.” The journey for Mezei began at the Corona Classic Mazatlan Mexican PGA Championship in Mazatlan last week as the local golfer looks to build on an up-and-down 2009 season. “Last year was a bit of hot and cold,” said Mezei, who made the cut in nine of his 14 events with two top-10 finishes, tying for seventh at the Argentine Masters and tying for fourth at the Mexican PGA Championship. “I played some really good golf along the way and I played some not-so-great golf. Overall, it was a decent year. I think in the end I finished in the top-25 or 30 in the Canadian Order of Merit. That’s definitely nothing to scoff at. That’s not a terrible season, but it’s not what I’m capable of and what I’ve done in the past. But it was a bit of hot and cold. “I feel like the last few years I’ve played more like that. I know through my
amateur and junior career I’ve probably been a little more consistent, but at the same time the competition level has obviously been
increased. I’d definitely like to be a little more consistent and get my top finishes a little bit better. But the last couple of years I’ve spent a lot of time working on my golf swing and trying to improve things. Some things have improved and some things haven’t. But I’m done with that now and back with the golf.” And Mezei does so with some specific goals in
mind. “This year is the Nationwide Tour and the PGA
Tour is the next step and that’s where I want to be.” And the Lethbridge golfer feels he’s close, pointing to fellow golfer and friend Graham Delaet’s third-place finish at the Houston Open two weeks ago. “We’re all the same age and we’re just starting to get out there now. The onus is definitely there to get on the PGA Tour,” said Mezei. However, that’s not to suggest Mezei isn’t also focused on the Canadian Tour as well with the next tour stop in Nayarit, Mexico for the Riviera Nayarit Classic beginning Monday. “I’m looking forward to the Canadian Tour,” said
Mezei. “The Canadian Tour is going to be excellent this year. We don’t have as many events as we wanted, but the events that are going to be there are going to be really good. So I’m looking forward to that and also have the U.S. and British Open qualifiers, the Nationwide, PGA qualifiers as well as the season.”
And once he gets there, it’s a case of staying
there, said Mezei, citing Canadian Tour golfer and Calgary resident Wes Heffernan as an example. “I know if Wes got his PGA Tour card one year I doubt he’d ever have a problem keeping it,” said Mezei. “He’s a great player. Sometimes the battle is getting out there and getting your foot in the door.” BIOGRAPHY— Made the cut nine times in 14
events in 2009 with two top 10 finishes: a T-7 at the 2008 Argentine Masters (2009 season) and a T-4 at the 2009 Mexican PGA Championship . . . Missed his first four cuts of 2008 but followed it with seven straight cuts made . . . Best finish was a T-21 at Saskatchewan . . . Although he missed his last three cuts of the season, made dramatic leap forward in 2007, winning Free Press Manitoba Classic by one stroke over Derek Gillespie for his first Canadian Tour victory . . . Finished T-4 at Iberostar Riviera Maya Open . . . T-6 at Corona Mazatlan Classic . . . Made seven of 13 cuts and $37,050 to finish 12th on the Order of Merit . . . Lone top-10 in 2006 was a T- 10 at the Barton Creek Challenge . . . Although he played just five events in 2005 rookie season, he made three cuts and was able to retain full playing privileges for 2006 . . . Turned professional in 2005, less than a month after his amateur swan song for Canada at the Four Nations Cup . . . Runner-up at the 2002 Canadian Amateur . . . Won Alberta Amateur in 2003 and the Canadian Junior in 2000.
Finding his centre
LETHBRIDGE’SWASYLOWICH TAKES UP YOGA TO IMPROVE AILING BACK – AND HELP HIS GAME
Dale Woodard
LETHBRIDGE HERALD
sports@lethbridgeherald.com
Kris Wasylowich has adopted a Zen-like outlook in his approach to the coming golf season. It’s not the purported return to Buddhism that Tiger Woods espouses, but for
Wasylowich, it could mean a physical change which allows him to succeed. Wrapping up a 2009 season with a cranky back that held him out of the last few stops on the Canadian Tour, Wasylowich knew the physical ailment would need to be dealt with.
And when the suggestion of yoga came up, the Lethbridge-based golfer figured he’d
Southern Alberta Newspaper photo
Lethbridge’s Kris Wasylowich needed to try something new as he fought a sore back during last season’s Canadian Professional Golf Tour.
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