Roger Sloan is making a memorable return to the PGA Tour.
Sloan, from Merritt, BC, last played on the PGA Tour in 2014-15 with limited success. But Sloan’s second time around the tour is proving much more successful, and a 5-under 67 in the final round of the Puerto Rico Open, including birdies on the final two holes, moved the Canadian into a tie for second-place. It is his best finish on the PGA Tour to date. The golfer’s previous best finish was a tie for 12th in the Desert Classic last month.
This finish in Puerto Rico will go a long way to securing Sloan’s tour privileges for next year. Heading into the event he’d only made four of nine cuts. Sloan took home $198,000 for the tournament, more than he’d made to this point in the season.
Heading into the final round, Sloan said the precarious state of his season wasn’t a primary concern. Instead, he was simply trying to take the experience from his first year on tour and make the adjustments needed to succeed on tour.
“I’m not too concerned with all that,” Sloan told reporters about his struggles heading into Puerto Rico. “My job out here is to go out and hit one shot at a time and kind of take care of business. I learned a lot my first year on tour, so I’m applying all those lessons and making all those necessary adjustments for this year.”
Sloan was one of four golfers who tied for second, three shots behind winner Martin Trainer. David Hearn, the only other Canadian to make the cut, finished in a tie for 25th.
What’s In Roger’s Bag
Driver: Titleist TS3, 10.5°
Fairway: Titleist TS2 Fairway, 15°
Hybrid: Titleist 818H2 Hybrid, 21°, Titleist 915HD Hybrid, 23.5°
Irons: Titleist 718 CB Iron, 5-PW
Wedges: Spilled Mill SM7 Vokey, 50°, 56°, 60°
Putter: Scotty Cameron Prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Great showing Roger!! All Canadians are proud of you. Take this momentum and push it in your next event. Your confidence is evident and you will get better. Keep telling yourself that and it will happen.