WINNIPEG – Dylan Samberg has had quite a summer.

He married his current wife, Destiny, on July 26. Not long after their wedding, the newlyweds embarked on their honeymoon to Greece – a location that both had highly ranked on their travel wish list.

Next on Samberg’s agenda is becoming the fourth player from the Winnipeg Jets to participate in the CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open. This event is a part of the PGA Tour Americas schedule and he will be playing on a sponsor’s exemption.

“Ryan Sandelin, my best friend from back home, is on the bag for me,” Samberg said at a press conference on Tuesday. “This year, I finally got a golf membership which allowed me to play more golf – a positive thing. I even joined a league and have been trying to prepare as much as possible for this.”

While Samberg’s focus for the week is primarily on having fun and cherishing every moment, he still intends to compete vigorously for his score.

Possibly not in competition with the pros, who play continuously to further their careers to the PGA Tour, but rather against his Jets teammates.

The two-day score of 162 by Mark Scheifele is still the one to surpass.

“Spending a lot of time together in the locker room, I’m sure I’ll hear about it all year if I don’t beat him,” Samberg said with a grin. “It’s crucial that I surpass his score.”

Scheifele participated in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, setting the team’s scoring record in the latter. Kyle Connor took part in the 2019 tournament. The most recent participant was forward Morgan Barron, who took part in the event last summer.

Samberg turned to Barron for advice.

“Samberg expressed his curiosity about the tournament,” he said. “He shared that he interacted with many players and even caddies to gain insights and understand a different pro sports perspective. He stated that these interactions were beneficial for him in terms of the tournament.”

The 25-year-old from Hermantown, MN plans to utilize all the advice he’s received, along with his strong short game, to master the 7,311 yard Southwood Golf and Country Club.

Samberg mentions having played the course around 10-12 times, but he notes that it looked significantly different when he drove in this week.

“He expressed his excitement about driving in, admiring the grandstands and everything else. He eagerly anticipated experiencing the atmosphere and seeing what it would bring,” he said.

A pro-am event is scheduled for Wednesday, prior to the official start of the tournament on Thursday morning. The True North Youth Foundation will receive all proceeds from the tournament.

Samberg isn’t too worried about nerves, even with just two days left before he takes his first tee shot.

“He shared, “My feelings are more of excitement for this week, rather than nerves or anything else. I was eager to finally attend and experience these tournaments. I haven’t been to many golf tournaments in my lifetime. I am simply thrilled to interact with many professionals and gain insights from a different pro sport perspective. This week should be enjoyable.”