Kennedy gets his Canadian Tour card

You would likely expect a pro hockey or football player to tell you he’s had 10 serious injuries in 12 seasons, but, believe it or not, that’s the story of North Bay pro golfer Dean Kennedy.

The 35-year-old has battled through separated shoulders, hamstring tears and even a broken foot caused by a fall in cowboy boots while attempting to unsuccessfully walk off a riser at a night club in Edmonton.

“This game has beat me up but my love for golf has never died,” said Kennedy.

But all that pain and suffering has paid off as Kennedy - who makes his Canadian home in Vancouver - was able to secure his Canadian Tour Card, finishing as the low Canadian at the CPGA Q-School qualifier in Santee, California last week.

Kennedy has played in a number of Satellite tours around the world and but hasn’t had the Canadian Tour card for 5 years. That’s meant a lot more traveling, as without the exemption, he was forced to qualify for every Canadian Tour event.

“I’m a little older now so I’m going to travel the nation and now I don’t have to play in those Monday qualifiers and I don’t have much of a desire to do that,” said Kennedy.

“The exemption gives me the opportunity to layout my schedule and know where and when I can play. If I choose to take a week off I know I have another week to play. I may play some mini tour events and maybe qualify for a PGA event along the way. If I don’t get into a PGA event, I have the CPGA stuff. “

Kennedy doesn’t get back to North Bay as much as he’d like but he hopes his success, like that of David Morland IV, is an inspiration to young golfers in the area.

“Have fun out there and learn how to enjoy practicing,” said Kennedy who used to hit 1000’s of balls with his 9-iron and Wedge on the practice green at the Country Club.

The Chippewa grad who left the golf greens at the North Bay Golf and Country Club for greener golf pastures out west in 1995, is hoping to qualify for both the U.S. and Canadian Open PGA tour events and eventually he hopes to become a member of the top tour in the world.

“The Canadian tour is best way to prepare to PGA tour,” said Kennedy who looks at PGA tour pro Tom Lehman, who became a PGA tour member at the age of 38.

“There’s lots of talent in our tour but you have to do the right things to get there (PGA). If you took 150 guys and put them through only 10 would likely go through successfully.”

He says the qualifying for the PGA tour is one of the toughest tests in all of professional sports as more than 2,000 golfers pay the $10,000.00 qualifying fee to battle for 25 spots each year in an event that spans 3 weeks and 14 rounds of golf.

Kennedy will make that attempt at the end of the season; in the meantime he will try to build on the success of getting his Canadian Tour card as he will use his exemption to play in the Mexican PGA Championship on April 20th.

Photo courtesy www.Cantour.com