ONE ON ONE WITH DURHAM GOLF HEAD COACH TYLER MARTIN
Tyler Martin took over the head coaching duties of the Durham College golf program earlier this month.
Tyler Martin took over the head coaching duties
of the Durham College golf program earlier this month. Durham
College journalism student Joseph Cotrona had the chance to
recently sit down with him and learn a little bit more about new
coach.
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After turning professional and playing on the PGA Tour Canada,
Tyler Martin is ready to return to the roots of his golf
career.
Martin was recently named the successor to Mike
Duggan as the Durham Lords golf coach who spent the last
16 years coaching the team. He retired after the 2012 season after
Durham hosted the PING CCAA Golf National Championship at the
Oshawa Golf and Curling Club where the Lords won two national
bronze medals.
Martin, who graduated from the Professional Golf Management
program at Durham in 2007, is an established golfer who experienced
success as a member of the Lords. He is also decorated with many
individual and team awards. He won 11 medals on the team and was
the first Durham Lords golfer to win a national championship which
was at the PING CCAA championship in 2005 in Windsor.
He also won back-to-back provincial titles with the Lords in 2004
and 2005 and finished second in 2006.
"I was completely blown away!" said Martin describing how he felt
when Duggan messaged him on Facebook about the position. "I am
extremely grateful that I was asked to take over the coaching role,
I could always see myself getting involved in some way."
Under the direction of Duggan, the Lords golf team has experienced
much success in the last decade.
"It's great motivation having such an accomplished person to
follow (as coach)," he said about being the person to follow Duggan
as coach. Martin explained that it was Duggan's coaching that
helped him become the player he is today.
"Mike was great with me from the start," he said. "He was very
competitive and loved to compete for the win every tournament. It
helped me elevate my game personally to the next level."
In 2007, Martinearned his PGA Tour Canada card and began golfing
professionally across North America. Though he feels he missed out
on his career goal of earning his PGA Tour card, Martin is still
proud of his accomplishments and where his career has taken him so
far.
"Ultimately I didn't reach my goal of the PGA Tour but I was very
happy with where I had made it to (PGA Tour Canada) and all the
great people I met along the way. It was a period in my life I
wouldn't trade for the world."
Martin will have a lot of work to do to maintain the winning ways
of the Durham golf team, and he will receive help from his former
mentor to assure success.
"I think it's a great program. I will be sitting down with Mike
but I think we are very happy with the direction the program is
headed."
Martin is prepared to take on the new challenge of coaching a
college team to victory and is enthusiastic to get started.
"I look forward to helping the guys work towards their goals and
dreams, whether it stops at the college level or they are pursuing
the PGA," said Martin. "I really look forward to helping anyway I
can."
Joseph Cotrona is entering his third year in the Durham College journalism program. He is currently the sport information assistant and the official play-by-play voice of the Durham Lords.
Source: Durham College
Photo Credit: Al Fournier
