Risdon shooting to cap season with a crown
Teaching pro turned caddy hoping summer success continues at Sundre
He’s admittedly more passionate now about teaching than swinging his own sticks. And what about carrying clubs? For local instructor Dustin Risdon, that short-term gig — lugging the weaponry for Spain’s Miguel Angel Martin during the 2016 Shaw Charity Classic — was all about gaining knowledge to share with his students.
“I’m just using this week as part of my coaching — you know, learning what the best players in the world do out there,” Risdon said during the three-day senior showdown at Canyon Meadows. “I’ve learned a lot, from my player and other players. And that’s what I’m out here for.”
After donning a caddy bib last week, Risdon should be wearing a bull’s-eye Tuesday and Wednesday at the PGA of Alberta’s Sunice Tour Championship at Sundre Golf Club.
The 47-man field features the leading money-winners from both the Players’ Tour and Professional Series schedules, but nobody has come close to matching the summer success of Strathmore-raised Risdon, a teaching pro at National Golf Academy at McCall Lake.
The 35-year-old won a wild west shootout at the Assistants Championship at Mill Woods, sizzling to a two-day tally of 16-under to top Wes Heffernan (Golf Canada Calgary Centre) by a single stroke.
He successfully defended his title at the weather-shortened PGA of Alberta Championship at Edmonton Petroleum Club, where he signed for a 1-under 71 and was the only guy to post a red number in miserable conditions.
Along the way, he shredded the course record with an 8-under 64 at a Professional Series stop at Country Side in Sherwood Park and then claimed another firstplace prize at a one-day event last Monday at Willow Park, going four deep before starting his shifts for Martin the next day. (With Risdon on his bag, the former European Tour pro finished in a tie for sixth at Canyon Meadows at 10-under.)
“Obviously, everything has gone my way,” said Risdon, who has a sparkling scoring average of 67.11 in eight PGA of Alberta get-togethers this season. “I didn’t plan on playing this well. But I got the Assistants Championship and the PGA Championship, so I guess this would be the last one on the list.
“That would be a good way to cap off the year.”
It’s certainly no surprise to see Risdon shooting low numbers.
After all, he’s a three-time winner on what was formerly known as the Canadian Tour, was a regular on the second-tier Web.com Tour and logged four starts on the biggest stage, surviving the cut in three of those PGA Tour appearances.
Risdon quit touring about five years ago — “I’d say I underachieved, that would be one word,” is his blunt assessment of his career in the birdies-for-bucks biz — and his inside-the-ropes experience alongside Martin didn’t exactly leave him missing his old day-job.
“I was saying to my buddy who caddies out there, ‘I don’t even know how you guys do this every week. I am worn out,’ ” Risdon said with a laugh. “I can’t imagine getting on a plane and going to the next one.”