A bevy of local golfers gathered at the Merritt Golf & Country Club on Saturday to welcome home professional golfer Roger Sloan for the first time since he qualified for the PGA’s FedEx Cup Tour — the top golf circuit in the world.
Sloan shared stories and anecdotes from his most recent exploits on the FedEx Cup Tour, and his previous two seasons on the Web.com Tour. He talked about his win at the 2013 Nova Scotia Open in front of an enthusiastic pro-Canadian crowd, the complexities of the PGA’s scoring and ranking systems and qualifying criteria, the set-up of PGA courses, the win by fellow-Canadian Nick Taylor at the Sanderson Farms stop two weekends ago, his new partnership with Bear Mountain Golf Resort outside Victoria, his ongoing quest for sponsorships and endorsement contracts, being away from home and his new wife, and the importance of practising and “going to work each day.”
Sloan also had a chance to chat with 18-year-old Merritt golfer Ben McNiven, who is attending Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota on a golf scholarship. 
McNiven finished second overall at his very first varsity event at the end of August, and helped DWU capture the team title at its own Palace City Cup Invitiational in September by placing seventh with a two-round total of 151.
Sloan attended the University of Texas-El Paso for four years on a golf scholarship. Sloan wrapped up a busy Saturday by attending the Merritt Centennials home game that night, and participating in a ceremonial puck drop with Cents’ captain Sam Johnson and Penticton Vees’ captain Patrick Sexton.
Sloan’s next PGA event will be the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii from January 15 to 18.
