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David Hearn: 'Open experience made me proud to be Canadian'

Jean-Yves Ahern / USA TODAY Sports

theScore-sponsored PGA golfer Mackenzie Hughes continues his "Mac Meets" series, this time sitting down with fellow Canadian pro David Hearn, fresh off an outstanding display in the Canadian Open, and ahead of his appearance at the final major of the season next week.

MAC: So many Canadians like myself are working toward playing in the RBC Canadian Open. What was it like as a Canadian walking down the home stretch in contention knowing you had an entire nation behind you?

DAVID: It was a pretty incredible feeling and something that I am going to remember for a very long time - probably forever. The ovation that I received on the first tee and all day on Sunday was pretty spectacular. Coming up on the 18th hole I still needed an eagle to have a chance to get into a playoff and the ovation I received is something that makes you incredibly proud to be a Canadian. I felt a real sense of pride.

MAC: You played The Open at St. Andrews a few weeks ago, what was that experience like?

DAVID: It was pretty surreal. To play at St. Andrews, the home of golf, was pretty neat. I had never played the course before nor been there before, so for me there was a lot to take in over a short period of time. St. Andrews is still to this day a great golf course.

MAC: What is the difference between playing The Open at Hoylake compared to St. Andrews?

DAVID: St. Andrews is a lost more links-style. From what I have heard about The Open course rotation, Hoylake is the least links-like. At St. Andrews, every golf hole goes away from the clubhouse and comes back in on the same path. With all the double fairways and greens it is a pretty unique course. Experience definitely pays off.

MAC: How hard is it to aim over the hotel teeing off on 17?

DAVID: They have added about 40 yards to that hole since Tiger won it in 2000. It is a lot easier to aim over to the left then it used to be. When the hole was a little bit shorter you used to have to take a more aggressive line. It’s a bear of a hole and also pretty awkward aiming over a hotel for the first time.

MAC: Golf takes you so many places, what has been your favorite destination?

DAVID: That’s a tough one. We get to travel to so many amazing places around the world. I think one of my most fun experiences was to represent Canada in the World Cup at Royal Melbourne with Brad Fritsch. It was so much fun to visit Australia and represent Canada at the same time.

MAC: What is your craziest pro-am experience?

DAVID: (Laughs) Do we have time for just one? My favorite is when I get paired with a really competitive player and they try their hardest to beat me, which is always a different day at a pro-am.

MAC: What is your all-time favorite golf hole and why does it stand out?

DAVID: I love a good par 3. So many of the golf courses we play on tour are based on length to increase difficulty. I think the middle- to short-range par 3s (8-6 iron) on a tricky angle that requires you to step up and hit a great golf shot can be some of the best shots in golf. If you make a good swing, you should make a birdie, and if you make a bad swing you're going to make a bogey really quickly. Holes like number five at Pebble Beach, number 12 at Memorial, and number 12 at Augusta.

MAC: What is your favorite activity with your family when you have a week off?

DAVID: I have a very young family - my daughter is three and my son is nine months. Our daughter is into everything right now so we spend a lot of time outside with her.

MAC: If you were given the chance to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a pre-game pep talk, what would you say?

DAVID: Right now I think they have a pretty good crew in charge. A year ago, I might have been able to give them a little more advice. I would tell them, as hard as it can be to play in Toronto, Canadians really get behind their teams. Toronto has a lot of passion for hockey.

The way the fans react to teams that are doing well like the Raptors over the past few years and the Blue Jays right now, the city also deserves a good hockey team.

MAC: Who do you think is going to be the next Sidney Crosby - Max Domi or Connor McDavid?

DAVID: Connor McDavid. He is the total package. Domi is a great player with a lot of speed and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. McDavid is special and has the scoring touch that only comes along every couple decades.

MAC: What are you most looking forward to at the PGA Championship next week?

I feel like I’ve found something in my iron play that has allowed me to hit the ball more consistently, which, as a result, has set me up for more birdies and overall given me a lot of confidence. I’m looking forward to continuing to play good golf and to be in the mix come Sunday.

About David Hearn

David Hearn is having a terrific season on the PGA Tour, capturing six top-10 finishes, including a third-place finish at the RBC Canadian Open, where he earned the Rivermead Trophy as the top Canadian. He came close to his first PGA Tour victory at The Greenbrier Classic, finishing second after getting notched out in a playoff by Danny Lee. He also finished T6 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and T7 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Hearn sits 42nd in FedEx Cup points standing heading into the PGA Championship.

In July 2015, Hearn launched the David Hearn Foundation in support of the Alzheimer Society. The foundation's central focus is supporting the Alzheimer Society of Canada in reducing the personal and social impacts of the disease by raising funds to provide individuals and families with needed programs and services.

In November 2013, Hearn teamed up with Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch to represent Canada at the 57th ISPS Handa World Cup in Melbourne, Australia, where they finished fifth in a star-studded field of world-class players.

Resilience and perseverance paid off as he made it through PGA Tour Qualifying School on his fourth try, playing on the PGA Tour in 2005. In 2006, Hearn returned to the Web.com Tour, where he played until finishing No. 21 on the tour’s money list in 2010. His effort and hard work were rewarded with a return to the PGA Tour in 2011, where he’s had three solid seasons, including a second-place finish at the 2013 John Deere Classic, and has become known for a sharp short game and consistent play. David and his wife, Heather, have two children - Ella (3 years old) and Evan (9 months)

Profile

  • Born in Brampton, Ontario
  • Attended the University of Wyoming
  • Turned pro in 2011
  • 17 career top 10 finishes
  • Finished third at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open
  • 2015 Rivermead Trophy winner
  • Finished second at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic
  • Finished T6 at the 2015 Zurich Classic of New Orleans
  • Finished T7 at the 2015 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

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