Eric Locke went up against the best head teaching professionals at the Redwoods Golf Club in Langley, B.C., this week, and the 33-year-old from Cochrane, Alta., came out on top. Locke ended up beating Kevin Stinson of Chilliwack Golf Club in a playoff to win the national championship. Locke says it was a dream come true. “To get into contention and to be able to get into a playoff, it was a bonus for me,” said Locke. “When I was driving down for the playoff hole, I was like OK, the worst I can do is second now, so in a way, it kind of took all of the pressure off.” “I never really dreamed that I’d have a six-inch putt for a national championship at any point in my career, so it was great.” Worked hard for this Locke is the head teaching professional at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club. He also owns Big Dog Golf in Cochrane. Locke finished nine under in the three-day event. He says it was nice to see that all of his hard work paid off. “In the moment, it was a bit surreal,” he said. “There was a lot of my buddies, a lot of Albertans out there at that tournament, and the support was great. “When I’m giving them hugs and things like that afterward, that’s when it set in a little bit that I’ve actually won this, so it was fun.” Goal is to represent Canada Locke’s dream is to get into the top four in the order of merit for teaching professionals. He says that would allow him to represent Canada in the Four Nations golf event. “Someday, I’d like to be able to be in the top four,” he said. “Be good enough to be able to represent Canada in something like that. “It might not get in anything else, but it helps me along the way down the road. If I keep playing well, I might be able to represent our country in that event; that’s a big driver for me.” Teaching is his passion Locke loves playing in golf tournaments, but he says his real passion is teaching and playing a role in making his students better. “It means the world to me,” said Locke. “To my benefit or my detriment, I’m very invested in my students. I want to see them get better, and I genuinely care about how my students proceed and if they’re having more fun and everything like that, so it definitely is my passion.”
