ATHABASCA – A lifelong love of golf that started at the Athabasca Golf and Country Club has continued to pay off for David MacComb, with his most recent win on the PGA of Alberta netting him $1,500.
MacComb, 32, notched his fifth semi-pro victory June 28-29 when he shot a 67 and then a 65 at the Players Tour event at the Turner Valley Golf Course — his Day 2 score broke the course record of 66 along the way to a seven-stroke win over a field of 38. The PGA of Alberta is one of nine provincial zones of the PGA of Canada and includes over 600 men and women who have chosen to make golf a career.
“We are the final level before it’s guys that are attempting to play for a living. You can still make money, it’s a professional level, but it’s not our jobs, it’s a side deal,” said MacComb. “There’s some guys who played on those professional tours before, or who decided that they would try and make a living playing golf later, but I’m not one of those guys, I’m just a working pro who enjoys competing on the side.”
MacComb’s latest victory culminated a weekend where he said he was happy with his play, despite some normal pre-competition jitters.
“Everything obviously went really well, but I hadn't played much leading up to the event so I wasn't sure what shape my game would be in. I made a great putt for birdie on the first hole, and it really made me feel comfortable and set up the rest of the two days,” said MacComb.
MacComb’s love for the sport started early, and it continued into his teen years, which he said were mostly spent on the links.
“I really fell in love with it when I was 12 or 13. One of my friends, his dad, was a good player, and my dad was into golf so we all played a lot. By the time we were 15 we were working at the course, and as soon as we got a driver’s licence, that was it, that’s pretty much all we did,” said MacComb.
“You’re always competing against yourself, and the golf ball doesn’t care who is hitting it. It doesn’t matter if you’re bigger, stronger, faster, or anything else. I was kind of a late bloomer in high school, so all of sudden everyone else was really tall and hockey became less fun, so golf became really fun for me then. I just love the challenge of it.”
At his day job he works as the associate golf pro at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, but says he still has the fire for competition. MacComb went to school at Grant MacEwan University, where he obtained a diploma in Golf Course Management, a program that combined a business administration diploma with golf specific electives. From there, MacComb was able to finish a degree in commerce from the same school.
The PGA of Alberta is a tour that is mostly filled with club pros and while it does have some who tried to go full-time and couldn’t, or played on their college golf teams. For MacComb though, the competition remains a side gig as he’s hoping to be able to continue to grow his career as a golf pro.
“It’s a great club that I’m at right now, I’m lucky enough to be able to get paid well, and the Royal Mayfair is one of the premier clubs in the city. The long-term goal is to be a head golf pro at a bigger course,” he said.
