Glendale Golfs – Winnipeg

Charity tournament has Hollywood buzz ahead of this week’s Canadian Open

Even on one of Canada’s most hallowed golf courses, Samuel L. Jackson’s persona is as bad ass as some of his Hollywood roles.

The Oscar-nominated star of Pulp Fiction and Snakes on a Plane was impossible to miss at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto on Monday, decked out in a loud orange hat and matching shirt.

One of the best things about golf, he has said, is you can dress like a pimp.

He gave fist bumps to his foursome and mock-serious hell to bumbling reporters. And he wasn’t nervous about teeing off among some of the greatest golfers on the planet.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said before driving off the first tee. “I’m not in the gallery. I’m not getting hit.”
The Mike Weir Charity Classic, which kicked off the RBC Canadian Open tournament week and raised money to help children through the Mike Weir Foundation, drew a number of other celebrities, including NHL players Dion Phaneuf, Martin Brodeur and Steven Stamkos, former CFL quarterback Damon Allen and actor Kevin Dillon of HBO’s hit series Entourage.

Unlike some of the Hollywood participants, Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jon Montgomery worried about his ability to hit straight off the tee. “[The nerves] are creeping up on me now,” he said.

In Jackson’s case, however, hooking a drive into the gallery was unlikely. A three handicap who can hit the ball 335 yards, Jackson has struck an enviable balance between his Hollywood day job and his off-duty passion for golf, which has grown ever since he picked up the game after moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1990s. His acting contracts include clauses that guarantee him tee times between filming.

And while shooting Star Wars in Australia, he carried a light sabre in his golf bag.

The tournament, which paired regular golfers who had paid for the chance to go 18 holes with celebrities and professional golfers, also attracted a number of fans who were simply happy to see the players warm up.

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For a guy who is used to contending and winning golf tournaments as a successful amateur, the graduation to the professional ranks has not been a smooth ride for Tyler Mancini.
Mancini, who plays out of Pine Ridge, has endured some tough patches during his first season on the Canadian Tour, missing the cut in each of his six starts.

It’s not exactly the start that Mancini — who captured the Manitoba Men’s Match Play Championship and the Manitoba Men’s Mid-Amateur title in 2009 — had envisioned.

However, where some individuals might be questioning their decision to take the next step, Mancini is more determined than ever to succeed.

“I feel like I could have made three or four cuts already and it’s getting a bit frustrating,” Mancini said in a recent interview. “I’m a competitive guy and I like to win. But you know what, I’ve improved a lot from last year. I’m a much better golfer now than I was last year. It’s a learning process.

“I’ve taken a beating this year and I’m still having lots of fun. I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. I’m loving it. I love the competition that comes along with it and deep down, I know I’ve got the game. I just have to go out there, keep practising and keep working.”

The mental challenges associated with missing cuts is something Mancini is working hard to keep on the back burner, as he tries to let his talent take over.

“Unfortunately, it is in the back of your mind when you start a tournament, you’re thinking about making the cut this week and going out and getting some cash,” said Mancini. “But it’s not like I play conservative the first two days so I can hang in there. I’m trying to play aggressive and play smart, it’s just not working. You make a couple of mistakes here or there.
“It’s in the back of my mind, but I don’t think about it the whole round.”

While the results haven’t been there just yet, Mancini has noticed a difference in his own game.

“I’ve learned a lot, even from the beginning of the year,” said Mancini, who calls Lockport home. “I was nervous in the first couple of events, you’re out on the Canadian Tour and you wonder ‘Can I play with these guys?’

“Then after awhile, you start playing with all these different guys and you analyze and compare them to your own game and you realize you can play with these guys.”

Mancini believes if he make that first cut, things will go smoothly from there.

“That’s what I have to do, break that barrier,” said Mancini. “That’s the next step.”

With no cash to date on the Rolex Order of Merit money list, Mancini will be hard-pressed to finish inside the Top-80 to gain exempt status for 2011 but he’ll be much more prepared for Canadian Tour qualifying school in the fall, if it comes to that.

Mancini enjoyed a bit of down time following The Canadian Tour Players Cup event at his home course of Pine Ridge, but will be back in action from Aug. 12 to 15 at the Clublink Jane Rogers Championship at Greystone Golf Club in Halton Hills, Ont.

After spending part of last winter in Arizona working on his game, Mancini is planning to return this year and play a full season on the Gateway Tour.

“Lucky I have some great sponsor’s and family helping me out too, so right now it’s trying to play in as much stuff as I can and try to gain experience,” said Mancini. “It’s a whole different mentality than amateur golf, where even par can win the tournament.”

http://www.winnipegsun.com/sports/golf/2010/08/02/14903496.html

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