BY SCOTT HUNTER HADDOW
He has chewed up and tamed golf courses since
he was eight years old, and now, Kurt Kowaluk is looking to
take a bite out of the professional tour.
Kowaluk, 24, will take his game to the Royal
Ashburn Golf and Country Club just outside of Oshawa on Sept.
20 to test his mettle against the best amateurs in North
America in the Canadian Touring Qualifying School.
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Sudbury's Kurt Kowaluk
practised his bunker play at Timberwolf Golf Course in
preparation for attempting to earn his professional
playing card on the Canadian tour. The talented
southpaw will try and earn his card over five gruelling
rounds in late September. |
It's a five-round format, with only the
best golfers receiving their playing cards.
Kowaluk feels he's ready for the next
level.
"I have been serious about turning
professional for about two years," said Kowaluk. "I had some
success in the fall of 2002 and the spring of 2003 and since
then, I have been believing in myself more, which is half the
battle. The opportunity to pursue this goal is all I can ask
for. I am ready for the challenge and I am going to work my
butt off."
Kowaluk was drawn to the game at a young age
and stuck to his guns over the years to achieve a remarkable
list of accomplishments.
He earned a scholarship to play golf at the
University of Wyoming from 1998-2003, where he obtained a
degree in international finance, and has won numerous amateur
events over the last few years, including the Idylwylde
Invitation Championship in 2002 and 2003.
Kowaluk has a positive mind frame, which will
be crucial for him to make the jump to the pro ranks.
"If you believe in yourself and focus on the
right things - then anything is possible," said Kowaluk. "Golf
is a game were you can accomplish anything you want as long as
you're in the right frame of mind. If not, golf can be a
very frustrating game."
Kowaluk expects a learning curve as he
battles professional golfers.
"You go to any pro tour and any of those
golfers can win it," said Kowaluk. "I find, mentally, I am too
hard on myself. I have to learn to be less self-critical. I
want to just play and be detached from the results. You
don't want a lot of tension because your swing is at
it's best when you have positive, free flowing thoughts.
The only thing you can control in this game is your attitude to
your next shot. I am getting better at controlling that
aspect."
Kowaluk will rely on his bread-and-butter
short game, that has allowed him to pursue this opportunity,
while working on other skills in his arsenal.
"I would like to work on my ball striking
over the next few years," said Kowaluk. "The more fairways you
hit, the more greens you can hit. Being a consistent ball
striker is important.
"
Kowaluk has a five-year plan to assess his
performance.
"If I can continue the progress that I have
made over the last five years, I get excited thinking about how
good I could be in five years," said Kowaluk. "In the next five
years I will be able to tell if I am going in the right
direction. I would like to get my game to the point were I
could go to the PGA."
Tha Canadian Tour isn't for duffers. Over
the years, it has produced such PGA stars as Mike Weir, Todd
Hamilton and Notah Begay III.
Timberwolf Golf Club will hold a social golf
fundraiser for Kowaluk on Sunday, Sept. 5 starting at noon.
Cost is $80 and includes a round of golf, buffet and door
prizes.
