Defending Champ, Justin Hicks
Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung
Upon arriving at last year’s Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung, Nationwide Tour golfer Justin Hicks paused when he noticed his locker number. The lifelong hockey fan from Michigan couldn’t help but wonder whether the random locker assignment was a harbinger of good things to come. The coincidence seemed too perfect.
That locker number? Ninety-nine, of course.
“Seeing locker No. 99 for the Wayne Gretzky tournament was pretty interesting and a positive little thing that went into the back of my head, like ‘Wow, that’s kind of neat. Maybe it’ll be my week or something,’” said Hicks, who went on to win last year’s classic. “Sometimes you need a little something like that to get you thinking that things are going to go your way.”
More than coincidence, of course, is needed to win at the Wayne Gretzky Classic, an annual pro-am style stop on the Nationwide Tour. This year’s classic is set for July 6 – 12 at the Georgian Bay Club and the Raven at Lora Bay in Collingwood, Ontario and features a slew of celebrities and former professional athletes paired with fellow amateurs and players on the Nationwide Tour.
“I think there’s a neat alignment with the hockey playing celebrities and the professionals on the Nationwide Tour,” said Jim Duncan, Nationwide Tour Tournament Director. “I think the road to the top level has a lot of similarities. I don’t think there’s ever been a hockey player that hasn’t had to take a 13-hour drive in a bus or had to drive to get to one place or another. I think our players really enjoy the fact that a lot of them get to play with professional athletes in a pro-am format.”
There’s a certain connection that gets made each year between the golfers and the celebrity amateurs, especially the former athletes who have been bitten by the golf bug since retiring from the sport where they first excelled.
“I think a lot of them watch us play and realize that while they were obviously once at the top of their sports, we’re at the top of ours,” Hicks said. “I think they definitely appreciate what we do. There have been times when I’ve played in other pro-am events and they’re just as interested in us as we are in them, asking things like ‘How did you hit that shot’ or ‘What were you thinking.’ Once you were a professional athlete in one sport it transfers over and they want to be as good as they can be in other sports too. They’re used to being around the crowds and knowing what it’s like to perform under pressure. I think that they really appreciate that with what we do with our games.”
Fans attending the Wayne Gretzky Classic will also appreciate the quality of play from the Nationwide Tour professionals. Generally thought of as a stepping stone to the PGA Tour, the Nationwide Tour has grown to become one of the most respected and competitive golf tours in the game today. Players on the Nationwide Tour such as Brian Gay, Jason Gore, Michael Sim and Camilo Villegas have gone on to success on the PGA Tour, while some golfers that have earned their PGA Tour playing card continue to compete in an occasional Nationwide Tour event.
“The gap between guys playing on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour has gotten pretty slim,” Duncan said. “I don’t think the public knows how close that gap is. But I think when they get out and see how good these guys can play, it’s pretty shocking.”
Hicks understands the tough competition that exists on the Nationwide Tour and expects nothing less at this year’s Wayne Gretzky Classic. A repeat victory is anything but a sure thing, though he does expect to draw upon last year’s success in Collingwood and his familiarity with both the courses and the area, which is the closest stop on the tour to his home and family in Michigan.
Of course, luck sometimes plays a role in sports and it’s yet to be seen who will find himself face-to-face with locker No. 99.
“I’m kind of interested to see what goes on with that,” Hicks said. “I don’t like to read too much into things like that, but it would certainly be a nice thing to see if I show up and get No. 99 again. I just think that Wayne has done so much for hockey and his country that anytime you’re able to draw some energy from that I think it’s a positive thing to have in your favor.”
Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung
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