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. 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