WINNIPEG – Dylan Samberg has had quite a summer.

He wed his wife, Destiny, on July 26. Not long after their nuptials, the couple jetted off to Greece, a destination both had prioritized on their travel wishlist, for their honeymoon.

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, a part of the PGA Tour Americas event schedule, thanks to a sponsor’s exemption.

“At Tuesday’s press conference, Samberg revealed that his best friend from back home, Ryan Sandelin, is his caddie,” he said. “I managed to secure a golf membership this year, allowing me more time to play. This has been beneficial. I even joined a league and have been trying to prepare as much as I can for this.”

While Samberg’s priority for the week is to have fun and savor every moment, he still intends to compete seriously for his score.

Maybe not necessarily against professional players, who compete every week to progress their careers to the PGA Tour, but against his teammates from the Jets.

Mark Scheifele’s two-day score of 162 still stands as 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. “So, overcoming his score is crucial.”

Scheifele participated in the tournament in both 2018 and 2022, setting the team’s scoring record in 2022. Kyle Connor joined the event in 2019. The latest participant was Morgan Barron, a forward who played in the previous summer’s tournament.

Samberg turned to Barron for advice.

“Samberg expressed his curiosity about understanding the essence of the tournament,” he said. “He admitted to having discussions with numerous players and even caddies to gain a different professional sports perspective. He found it immensely helpful for his involvement in the tournament.”

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

Samberg has played the course approximately 10-12 times, but he noticed it looked significantly different when he drove in this week.

“He said, ‘It was pretty cool driving in here with all the grandstands and everything. I’m excited to see the atmosphere and what it brings.'”

A pro-am event is scheduled for Wednesday, preceding 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 though he’s only two days away from his first tee shot.

“He expressed, “I was more excited about this week than anxious or anything else. The anticipation of experiencing these tournaments was thrilling. I haven’t attended many golf tournaments in my lifetime, so I was eager to interact with the professionals and gain insight from a different professional sport’s perspective. This week should be enjoyable.”