Wright of Way to PGA Tour

Chad Wright is still racking up frequent-flier miles and he’ll probably spend more nights in hotel rooms this year than in his parents’ home in Ventura.

But the 1993 graduate of Buena High will play in far fewer professional golf tournaments than he did in 1999.

Wright, who won the Samsung Canadian PGA championship at King’s Riding Golf Course in King City, Ontario, on July 27-30, estimates he played in 40 to 42 tournaments on the road at various levels last year.

That number will drop to about 30 this year.

“I prefer to play three or four tournaments in a row and then take a week or two off,” Wright said. “Playing week in and week out kind of has a negative effect on my game.”

Wright, 24, came to that conclusion last fall while preparing for a first-stage regional of the PGA Tour qualifying school tournament.

A top-40 finish in the final of that three-stage tournament could have given Wright exempt status on the PGA Tour this year.

Finishing 41st to 98th could have given him exempt status on the Buy.com (formerly Nike) Tour and finishing 99th to 159th would have given him conditional status.

But a mentally and physically fatigued Wright was eliminated in the first stage after advancing to the second stage in each of the previous two years.

“I just found it hard to go out and practice every day,” said Wright, runner-up to Tiger Woods of Anaheim Western High in the 1993 Southern Section individual championships. “That’s not good when you’re preparing for a tournament, especially a tournament that means as much as that one.”

Wright has benefited from a reduced tournament load.

He ranks sixth on the Canadian PGA Tour money list, earning $43,319 with two tournaments remaining.

He finished 18th with $28,347 last year after placing 58th with $9,020 in 1998.

The Canadian PGA title, regarded as the most prestigious tournament on that tour, was worth $27,000 to Wright. But more importantly, it showed he could play well on the final day of a tournament in which he was a contender.

“It’s real important to win at any level,” he said. “It’s a big difference for me because it’s given me a lot of confidence.”

Wright, who tied for fifth in the 1995 NCAA championships for USC, was among the leaders entering the final round of three or four Canadian PGA tournaments in the last two years. But his best previous finish was a tie for fourth in the McDonald’s Prince Edward Island Challenge last August.

He tied for eighth with a 13-under 275 at the Telus Calgary Open in June before firing a six-under 65 in the final round of the Canadian PGA to give him a 16-under total of 268 and a one-shot victory over Jason Bohn of Atlanta and Chris Anderson of Covina.

“You have to look at it as a learning experience,” Wright said of his earlier disappointments. “It takes most people more than once or twice to get in that position and win. Once you’ve been there a few times, you feel more comfortable and you’re able to play better.”

Wright tied for fifth with a two-under 286 in the Benefit Partners/NRCS Classic at Timberwolf Golf Course in Sudbury, Ontario, on Sunday before returning home Tuesday night for nearly four weeks of rest, relaxation and practice.

He’ll return to Canada to participate in a Bell Canadian Open qualifying tournament at Brantford, Ontario, on Sept. 4. If he finishes among the top four, he’ll be part of the field when that PGA event starts three days later in Oakville, near Toronto.

If he fails to qualify for the Canadian Open, he’ll rejoin the Canadian PGA Tour in the NewTel Atlantic Cup in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Sept. 8-10.

That will be followed by the Bayer championship at Sarnia, Ontario, from the 14-17.

The Bayer tournament is the final official money tournament of the Canadian PGA season, but it won’t end Wright’s season.

He’ll play in a first-stage regional of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament and in an Australasian PGA Tour qualifying tournament in October.

The second-stage regionals of the PGA Tour tournament will be held in either the second or third week of November, with the six-round final at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course and Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West in La Quinta from Nov. 29-Dec. 4.

If Wright fails to qualify for either tournament, he hopes to play on the Australasia PGA Tour in November and December for the second year in a row.

That schedule could leave Wright with an exhausting travel itinerary, but it would be worth it if it helps him hone the skills necessary to play on the PGA Tour.

“That’s a dream that maybe isn’t in the forefront of your mind when you first start playing golf,” said Wright, who picked up his first club when he was 8. “But you’re working to get there eventually.”