The PGA Tour is winding down for the 2021 season as the FedEx Cup playoffs are underway with four Canadians in the field.
Many like Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson on the ladies’ side are making a name for Canada on the global golf stage and a Yorkton golfer is hoping that sometime in the next few years you can add his name to the list.
After finishing college at Arkansas Southern University and placing 17th at the recent Canadian Amateur golf championship, 23-year-old Kade Johnson decided it was time to turn pro. He will play the first of six events on the Mackenzie Tour later this week in Prince Edward Island.
Johnson, who started playing the game at age 11, says a person that he finds to be a role model is someone who has done quite well for himself on the PGA Tour–Weyburn’s Graham DeLaet.
“Graham was just a few hours from me growing up in Weyburn so it’s cool to see him doing what he did knowing that he managed to get to where he was by playing in the same conditions that I did growing up. ” Johnson said. “I’ve never met him, but he is a great role model. I have heard a lot of stories about him and what he had to go through to get to where he is. He started off in the Mackenzie Tour like I am, and he has done some great things on the PGA Tour. I hope one day I can sit down with him and get some knowledge from him and maybe have the same type of career as him.”
When it comes to what he loves about the game, Johnson says it is the day-to-day quest to get better and face the challenges thrown in front of you.
“It’s how much you have to work for it. One day you can shoot a really low number and the next day a high number. There is nothing guaranteed in the game, so you have to work so hard to keep trying to get better.” Johnson said. “It’s a very individual sport and if you don’t succeed it is because of you. Wanting to succeed takes a lot of effort”
While Johnson will tee it up in Prince Edward Island later this week, he is looking to be a part of the field and see a lot of familiar faces at the Elkridge Open which will go next month at the course just outside Prince Albert National Park,
