WINNIPEG – Dylan Samberg has had quite a summer.

He married his current wife, Destiny, on July 26. Soon after their wedding, the newlyweds jetted off to Greece for their honeymoon, a destination they had both highly prioritized on their travel wish list.

What’s next for Samberg? He is set to become the fourth member of the Winnipeg Jets to participate in the CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open. This event forms part of the PGA Tour Americas schedule and he’s playing on a sponsor’s exemption.

“At Tuesday’s press conference, Samberg revealed that his best friend from his hometown, Ryan Sandelin, is his caddy,” he said. “This year, I finally acquired a golf membership, which allowed me to play more golf – a positive development. I even joined a league, so I am doing everything I can to prepare for this.”

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

Maybe not necessarily against professional players who compete weekly to advance their careers to the PGA Tour, but rather against his Jets teammates.

The two-day score of 162 by Mark Scheifele still remains unbeaten.

“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. “Outscoring him will be crucial.”

Scheifele participated in the tournament in 2018 and 2022, setting a team scoring record in 2022, while Kyle Connor joined in 2019. The latest to join was forward Morgan Barron, who participated in the event last summer.

Samberg turned to Barron for advice.

Samberg expressed his curiosity about the tournament, stating, “I wanted to understand what it was all about.” He mentioned that he had conversations with many of the players and even the caddies to gain insights from a different pro sports perspective. He found this experience very beneficial for his understanding of the tournament.

The 25-year-old from Hermantown, MN, plans to utilize all the advice he has gathered, coupled with his strong short game, in an attempt to master the 7,311 yard Southwood Golf and Country Club.

Samberg mentions having played the course around 10-12 times, but notes that it appeared significantly different upon driving in this week.

“He expressed his excitement about the grandstands and everything else he saw while driving in. He was also looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere and seeing what it would bring,” he stated.

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

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

“He expressed, “My feelings are more of excitement for this week, rather than nervousness or anything else. I was eager to come here and discover what these tournaments entail. I haven’t attended many golf tournaments in my life. I am simply thrilled to engage with numerous professionals and understand it from a different professional sports angle. It’s going to be an enjoyable week.”