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After graduating from Kent State a couple of months ago, he’s got the necessary mindset to find success at another level. Now, it’s all about the grind. Putting in the hours and hours on the practice range and going to qualifiers and Q-School events can be a bumpy road, but it’s one the 22-year-old from Ottawa is willing to walk along.
The goal is to gain status on a PGA-sanctioned tour. Up next for Newton is the Commissionaires Ottawa Open Presented by Lépine Apartments.
Newton was given a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the PGA TOUR Americas event July 16-19 at The Marshes, a terrific local golf course Newton has a very good handle on.
After getting his first pro tour pay cheque ($1,412.33), at the Quebec Spring Open in late May, tying for third place at 3-under-par, one stroke off the lead, Newton says he is prepared for whatever is ahead.
“I’m just out of college, so there aren’t many privileges,” said Newton, a member at Royal Ottawa Golf Club.
“The Commissionaires Ottawa Open exemption is a really nice one to get; I’m happy they chose me for it. I’m ready for the next step. One of the things that college helps you with is that grind. You're always trying to compete for that lineup spot, you're always trying to play well in tournaments, and it's the same thing in competitive golf. The reward is a bit different; now you're playing for a cheque, but it's still the same thing."
“I see myself up there on the big stage; it's a place that I want to get to. It might be a little daunting at some points, but it's where I want to go, and I'm welcoming the challenge.”
Competing in the PGA TOUR Americas event in Ottawa will be a great challenge, with plenty on the line. The tour’s 10 leading point earners at the end of each season earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour, one step away from the PGA Tour.
Among the successful PGA Tour players who have come through PGA TOUR Americas are C.T. Pan, Paul Barjon, Aaron Wise, Tony Finau, Kramer Hickok, Joel Dahmen, Adam Svensson, Sepp Straka, Cam Davis, Jake Knapp, J.J. Spaun, Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners.
Said Newton: “It’s going to be my first time at a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, and that obviously comes with the higher level of competition, the stature, learning how to deal with the pressure and gaining that experience to hopefully play well and repeat that throughout my years."
“Having said that, it's another golf tournament, a bunch of these guys I played against in college, and I'm just looking to go out there and play my game. I know I'm good enough, I know I can compete. So, we'll see how that goes.”
Admission and parking for the Commissionaires Ottawa Open are free.
If you want VIP tickets for the golf, it’s $150 for a single day or $500 for the four days. The money raised supports Soldier On, a program of the Canadian Armed Forces which contributes to the recovery of ill and injured CAF members and veterans by providing opportunities and resources through sports, recreational and creative activities.
VIP passes provide general access to the grounds, washroom use in the clubhouse, access to the greenside suite on 9/18 greens, access to the greenside suite on 17 green and two complimentary beverage tickets. There is also some food included in both VIP areas. You also have access to the Ironstone Grill with a VIP menu for purchase.
The Marshes has its challenges. Interestingly enough, Commissionaires Ottawa Open organizers have reversed the nines for the tournament. So, holes 1-9 become 10-18. That means the treacherous, long Par 5 second hole, with its watery ball graveyard along the right side, will become the 11th.
“I’ve played a bunch of junior events, plus some amateur events on it,” said Newton. “It’s a bit quirky, but it’s a fun golf course to work your way around. I’ve played well on it before. I know it really well."
“I don't think I've ever really looked at a golf course and said, ‘This doesn't set up for my game.’ I'm excited to play it; I know I can work my way around it really well.”
Asked about the long Par 5, which has become a signature hole, he said. “You’re stepping up to that hole, knowing that it's pretty much too long to get there in two,” he said. “So, you're breaking it down into three shots, and for each of those shots, you're picking a very specific target where you want to go. After that ball leaves the face, there's nothing you can do about it, so you just do everything you can to prepare before that, and hopefully it goes well.”
Newton started playing golf when he was seven or eight. His dad, Peter, took him to a double-decker driving range in London when the family was living in England. A couple of summers after that, he played his first round at the nine-hole Rideau Lakes Golf and Country Club, ironically enough the same starting point for LPGA superstar Brooke Henderson.
‘My dad took me out there, and it took me quite a few tries to get the ball into the hole, but I really enjoyed it,” said Newton. “From his love of the game, I got into golf and, I guess, I’ve never looked back. Every day on the golf course is a good day, really. That sounds cliché, but it's true. I'm living a dream.”
When he was younger, he also played hockey and soccer and skied.
“Golf was something that I've wanted to continue,” he said. “I've not really reflected on it, but I enjoy the competitiveness, I enjoy the grind. Sometimes I even enjoy the solitude of being out there by myself. It gives me a bit of time to relax.”
Learning the mechanics of the game is an ongoing process; keeping the shot-making on track is a regular process, even for the best of the best. Harnessing the mental side of the game is something that Newton was exposed to at a young age.
“When you start to compete, and you’re playing against a lot of good junior golfers, it’s about sticking to your game plan, sticking to what you know and not letting anything else bother you,” he said. “At the end of the day, you're still playing the golf course, and nothing else can affect you, and you can't affect anything else, really.”
As for career highlights, which include a division title at the Junior Honda Classic in Florida seven years ago, he said: “I won the Ontario Juniors in 2021 by quite a large margin. Then I won the Quebec Am in 2023. Winning both of those was really cool, but winning at the scores that I did really showed me something about myself. I wasn't fortunate enough, or I didn't play well enough, to get a win in college golf, but I definitely had some good tournaments.
“Everything still needs to get a bit better — maturing mentally and physically, learning what parts of the game I'm really good at, what parts of the game I'm not good at, and playing and organizing my golf game, then creating a game plan around that.”
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