Eleven months ago, Michael Gligic tied for 10th at the TPC Colorado Championship. Years of hard work and perseverance had paid off for the Canadian, in the form of a PGA Tour card. Finally.
Not every golfer gains a quick entrance onto the PGA Tour. After turning pro in 2008, Gligic needed 12 years to reach golf’s highest level. Then, when he finally got there for the 2019-20 season, his rookie year was halted in March when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down professional golf.
Now, the Burlington, Ontario, native is teeing it up at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C., his first PGA Tour event in more than three months. (He played last week’s Korn Ferry Challenge and missed the cut.)
“It will be a little weird without many fans,” Gligic said in a telephone interview. “For me, it will be pretty normal. My name doesn’t stand out like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.”
The 30-year-old competed in 13 tournaments before the PGA Tour went on a three-month hiatus. But Gligic was unaffected. The break provided an opportunity to recharge.
“The time off was much needed after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour,” he said. “I had five days off between seasons. So, it was nice to put down the clubs for a little bit.”
Gligic and his wife, Natasha, remained at their Florida home in Jupiter. His home course, Dye Preserve, was open during the break, so Gligic had plenty of opportunity to practice when he was ready to pick his clubs back up. He also worked with his mental performance coach, Paul Dewland, on the aspects of his game he can control, and not creating pressure for himself.
“I worked with Michael to develop habits of physical relaxation and breathing patterns,” Dewland said. “We had time to work on keeping his body loose and the breathing mechanism moving properly. Practicing these skills as he plays golf will allow these habits to become daily routines.”
Gligic relies on the knowledge of Dewland, swing coach Sean Foley and short-game instructor Gareth Raflewski, all of whom worked with him throughout his career when he struggled to make the PGA Tour. Twice he left the game to pursue other career options but returned each time, motivated to improve.
“Most golfers who have been at it for a while had some serious thoughts about giving up,” Gligic said. “I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about leaving the game for good. But when I jumped back in, I started finding success, which propelled the second half of my career.”
After recording three top 10s on the Mackenzie Tour in 2018, Gligic moved to the Korn Ferry Tour. His 2019 season included a win at the Panama Championship, with a final-round 65, earning him PGA Tour status.
But a delay in this season pales in comparison to the years of doubt and uncertainty Gligic underwent to determine if he was good enough to reach the highest level.
