Like so many big, strong athletes from Canada, Hugo Bernard got his athletic career started by playing hockey.

There was only one problem: he admits now that he wasn’t really that good.

Thankfully, though, that switch has worked out just fine for the native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. (just outside of Montreal) as he had a celebrated amateur and collegiate golf career, and has now turned professional. Bernard, who led Saint Leo University in Florida to a Division II national team championship (just two years after fellow Canadian Adam Svensson did the same for Barry University), finished T-4 at his Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School site earlier this year and it was off to the races.

Bernard admits this year hasn’t unfolded quite the way he’d like – he has missed two cuts and his best finish is 64th – but every week he’s learning, he says, and feels like he’s close to putting all the pieces together.

“I’m working super hard and trying to prepare as well as I can every week. I didn’t play well yet so far but hopefully it’ll change in the next couple weeks,” he explains. “The line is super thin between playing good or playing bad.”

Bernard says he’s been pleased with his iron play so far this year and has been driving the ball well. His short game and putting is what he says he’ll be working on over the coming weeks to hopefully get on a bit of a run as the summer stretch begins.

The 24-year-old has been travelling with fellow Team Canada national team members Jared du Toit and Taylor Pendrith as he’s got his feet wet in professional golf.

Du Toit made headlines in 2016 playing in the final group of the RBC Canadian Open as an amateur and was the 2017 Canada Life Canadian Player of the Year on the Mackenzie Tour. He says Bernard is definitely learning the ins and outs of pro golf off the course, but says when everything is clicking Bernard is a force to be reckoned with on the course.

“When you think of Hugo you think he’s a long-ball guy … but when he’s hitting fairways and feeling good with his iron play the game comes really easy to him and he can shoot some really low scores,” says du Toit. “I don’t think he’s got off to the best start but he’s doing all the right things and I’m sure it’s just a matter of time for him.

“When he’s on, he’s really tough to beat, and I don’t think he’s been 100 percent on yet this year but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it coming up.”

While Bernard has played a handful of Mackenzie Tour events in the past – and has even teed it up on the PGA TOUR at the RBC Canadian Open – he’s still absorbing as much as he can. He says being able to pick the brains of both Pendrith, a former member of The 5, and du Toit has been helpful.

One event that Bernard has already found some success at is the Mackenzie Investments Open in his native Montreal. While still an amateur he finished T-7, in 2017, just a year removed from wining the Canadian Men’s Amateur crown. If Bernard was to make it to the PGA TOUR, he’d become the first to do so from Quebec.

He admits he hasn’t been back to Montreal much this year – he spends a lot of the time on the road and is in Florida otherwise, usually playing golf or fishing – but he hasn’t lost the connection to home. When he turned professional he caught the eye of a big handful of companies from his hometown eager to partner with the up-and-coming star.

And while the results haven’t come quite yet, Bernard says he’s looking forward to the future. His professional career has just got started and he couldn’t be happier.

“It’s been really fun,” says Bernard with a smile. “I love my new life.”