Cincinnati senior Sam Jean lines up a putt earlier this spring.
Submitted photo
The fine line between Sam Jean’s amateur and professional careers is the one separating this country from Canada.
A 2018 Center Grove graduate, Jean looks forward to soon earning paychecks playing the sport he’s loved for the majority of his 23 years.
In the meantime, there is work to be done.
Jean, a fifth-year senior at the University of Cincinnati, is the No. 1 player on a Bearcats team about to make its debut in an NCAA regional.
His team-best 18-hole stroke average of 69.97 this season has helped Cincy secure the No. 7 seed among the 13 schools scheduled to compete at Bear’s Best Las Vegas, a Jack Nicklaus-designed layout, from May 15-17.
Auburn, Clemson, Michigan State, Oklahoma and San Jose State have been assigned to host the other NCAA regionals. Included on the Auburn guest list is Indiana, which starts one of Jean’s high school classmates, fifth-year senior Noah Gillard.
“It’s definitely been an exciting year,” Jean said. “As a team, we kind of have our sights set a little further. We’re not finished yet, hopefully. This is the last time I get to do something as part of a team, and this team is really close.”
Cincinnati was most recently a runner-up at the American Athletic Conference championships in Bellaire, Florida, in late April. Jean tied for the 15th spot individually with his three-round total of 214.
Jean and his teammates have devoted the past couple of weeks readying themselves to play in Las Vegas. At the same time, he’s also trying to earn a spot in next month’s US Open — Jean shot a 69 in the first round of qualifying at The Hawthorns in Fishers, advancing into the final round of qualifying on June 5.
Busy times, indeed.
A three-time all-AAC selection, Jean graduated from UC last month with his degree in mechanical engineering. In February, his seventh-place performance at a PGA Tour Canada qualifying event in Weston, Florida, ensured Jean a spot on that tour’s upcoming 10-event schedule.
“At the moment, golf is my job,” Jean said.
The PGA Tour Canada season kicks off with the Royal Beach Victoria Open from June 15-18 in Victoria, British Columbia, a 90-minute drive northwest from Seattle.
Jean is the best man at a friend’s wedding the following week, meaning he’ll miss the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open. He plans to return for the ATB Classic in Sherwood Park, Canada, from June 29 to July 2, and the seven events that follow, concluding with the Fortinet Cup Championship in Calgary from Sept. 7-10.
PGA TOUR Canada structures its schedule as such: three weeks on, one week off, four weeks on, two weeks off, three weeks on. This is in large part is because of the travel demands and the distance between many of the sites.
Jean, who as a golfer appreciates long-distance drives, looks forward to a different kind as he travels from one destination to the next. He’ll mostly live in motels and host housing this summer as he attempts to qualify for the Korn Ferry Tour.
“I would compare this tour to Double-A baseball in that it’s two steps down from the PGA Tour,” Jean said. “It’s a good route for someone coming out of college, and I plan to play all summer.”
Jean’s itinerary includes such stops as Bromont, Caledon, Windsor, Calgary and even a dip back into the United States (Brainerd, Minnesota). Six events boast total purses of $200,000, with the other four set at $225,000.
Jean has an engineering degree as a nice career fallback should things not go his way in the next few years, but he plans to hold off using it for as long as possible.
He’s not setting 28, 30 or some other age as his goal to be a regular on the Korn Ferry Tour. More like 24.
“Yeah, next year,” Jean said, laughing. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable. When I play well, I feel I can compete with anyone.”
