5 questions with Brad Fritsch

theScore’s sponsored Web.Com Tour golfer, Mackenzie Hughes, sat down with fellow Canadian and PGA professional Brad Fritsch to discuss his return from injury, golf in the Olympics, and, as an Albertan, how he was affected by the Fort McMurray disaster.

Mackenzie Hughes: Brad, congrats on a great season so far and putting yourself in position to get back on the PGA Tour. I know you've been going through some issues with your foot recently; how’s the rehab going?

Brad Fritsch: Yes, I've had a really great start to the year and I’m thankful for that because of the injury. I don't have to rush back, but at the same time I want to play every tournament. It’s just one of those things that kind of pops up out of nowhere; like the night that I hurt it, I woke up in terrible pain after a Thursday round in Raleigh where I didn't feel like I did anything to it, or triggered anything. I just happened to wake up in the middle of the night and my foot was throbbing and it took about a good week and a half to get close to 100 percent.

MH: That's tough. You bought yourself some time though with your good play so far, but at the same time you’re playing well and you want to strike while the iron is hot. I’m glad to hear you'll be back soon. What’s the game plan moving forward this season? Have the goals changed for you moving forward?

BF: I think my first goal for this year was obviously top 25 on the money list. How I went about that wasn't super important to me. But I think getting a win early and having enough money, presumably, to get my card next year. I'd like to get that feeling again of winning or at least get back in that final group on Sunday. So that's the goal. I don't think my strategy changes at all. My plan, initially, for the year was to play every event. So I think I'll play every event that I can, hoping that I'm healthy to do so, but no, I don't think the strategy changes. My goal remains the same. After I won, I thought, well, there's only 21 winners at the most for this year so I'll have a good chance of being No. 1 on the money list. So I think that's my main goal. I have a lot of work to do now that Wes (Bryan) and Richy (Werenski) have had such good years and they're quite a bit ahead of me on the money list now. There's a lot of tournaments coming up that I've played before, and I think I have a good experience in, so hopefully I'll use that to my advantage.

MH: Golf is making a comeback this summer at the Olympic Games in Rio. I know you represented Canada in 2013 at the World Cup alongside David Hearn. To represent your country playing golf is a pretty rare and unique experience. I want to get your thoughts on what that experience was like playing for Canada, and what your thoughts are on golf returning to the Olympics. Is it going to be a big hit or will it be short-lived?

BF: Yeah, so in 2013 I was in Australia playing on the World Cup with David Hearn, and it was a legendary golf course as well, Melbourne, and I think that might have been the first year that they used the Olympic format which was 30 countries, two players each. This summer’s Olympic format is a little different, you can have four guys in the same country as long as they are in the top 15 in the world, I think, but relatively the same. So that was a neat experience. Australians were great, they came out to support Adam Scott and Jason Day and it was a lot of fun to watch them when I wasn't playing. I kind of paid attention to all the crowds that were following them.

The Olympics in golf, I support it. I support professionals going to play. I wish the format was a little bit different. It's just individual stroke play where you combine your scores to get the best team score, which is kind of, I don't want to call it lame, but it's kind of unoriginal and it doesn't really inspire much creativity, imagination. The way they used to play the World Cup I think would've been neat. There was a day of better ball, a day of alternate shot. I think that would be really neat to watch, especially on TV. That would be pretty fascinating, and would probably open up a lot of different avenues for people to watch.

This Olympics in Rio is going to be a challenge, I think. Based on the Zika virus and the schedule for most of the best players in the world is pretty tight and I understand some guys have pulled out and some people just don't want to go to Brazil. To each his own. The one thing that would be really cool would be to walk with all the athletes in opening ceremonies and the closing ceremonies and to see a bunch of different venues, the swimming, track and field, and stuff like that. I've never been to an Olympics so that would be pretty cool, but right now I'm on the outside looking in, so I'd have to have a bunch more good finishes before the cutoff date. I imagine that Graham (DeLaet) and David (Hearn) will be the ones representing and I'll be pulling for them for sure.

MH: I agree - it'd be a huge honor and thrill to not just be there, but walk alongside a guy like Michael Phelps and the other incredible athletes you watch on TV. Then, obviously, like you said, to see the facilities and to watch the other athletes compete would be great.

So, what does a typical off-week day look like for Brad Fritsch?

BF: Well, the alarm goes off at 7:15 a.m. every morning. That's when we get to wake the kids up, especially my daughter who we get off to school by about 8:25 a.m. - that's what time the bus comes. Then from there, it's usually a leisurely breakfast and then I meet my coach, if it's a day I'm working with him. We'll work for a couple hours. I may go play, or I may not. I've actually started to play less in the last couple of years in my weeks off, just kind of conserving energy, and more geared toward practicing and just honing the golf swing. Then I'll come home usually about four or five o'clock and get my daughter off the bus around 4:30 p.m. From there, it's just playing with the kids. If it's a nice day we'll be outside for a couple of hours, then you know bath time and then good night. On a night like tonight I’ll play with the kids, put them to bed and then watch the hockey game.

MH: I know you’re originally from Edmonton, Alberta, which is very close to Fort McMurray where the devastating forest fires took place. You being from the area and, obviously, as a Canadian, it must have been extremely tough to watch as it was for me and the rest of the country. I saw your recent interview on the Golf Channel where you explained how people can support the cause. Maybe you can touch on how the fires are personally affecting you and remind some of the readers of theScore how they can help raise money for those affected.

BF: I first saw the coverage, and just the enormity of it, I think that’s what hit me the most. It was a complete evacuation of the city; I think 80,000 people had to get out of there. If anyone's ever been there, it's a two-lane road going in and out; there's really not any other way to get to Edmonton from there. So every person from the city on that one road trying to get out. What kind of decisions would you make on what you'd take with you? That was the first thing I thought of. Obviously your family, maybe your pets, some stuff that you consider valuable you don't want to lose, but at the same time, how much trouble are you going to go through to get that stuff?

I thought about the people I stayed with in Fort McMurray when I played the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada tournament there. I wondered is their house still there? Is the golf course still there? I believe the club house was completely destroyed, I don't know about the golf course. When you've been to a place and they kind of embrace the tournament, it's just pretty hard to see that kind of devastation. So I thought the least that we could do is try raise a little bit of money for them to go to either the Red Cross of Canada or the United Way of Canada.

I went in the booth at our tournament that week and tried to spread the word and tried to raise some money. I know the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada and the Web.com Tour both donated some money to the United Way of Canada to support the causes, and trying to get as many people back on their feet and at least be supportive while they try to deal with what they're going through. If anyone wants to contribute, the best way is through the PGA Tour via www.pgatour.com/together and there is a link to the Fort McMurray fires. Readers can also help by visiting the Red Cross of Canada website (www.redcross.ca) or United Way of Canada website (www.unitedway.ca).

MH: It was definitely tough to watch the fire updates. I've been there two of the last three years, and I've stayed with a family that I still kind of keep in contact with. You spend a week in that community and they treat you great. The volunteers are amazing and the whole community is out there supporting the event. And then to see that whole place being torn down the way it is, it’s hard to watch. It definitely puts things in perspective. Thanks for sharing the info on how readers can contribute.

BF: Hopefully it helps.

MH: Thanks, Brad. See you out on Tour again soon.

BF: Thanks, Mac.