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Zander Winston back in Aberdeen to defend pro-am golf tournament title at Moccasin Creek Country Club

alexandra hardle, aberdeen news
·2 min read

Zander Winston is back in Aberdeen and seeking another golf title.

And some chicken wings while he's here.

This is Winston's fourth year playing in the Western Printing Pro-Am golf tournament, which is this weekend at Moccasin Creek Country Club.

Winston won the event last year. But he didn't always think he'd end up being professional golfer. As a child, he was into hockey and began golfing when he was 13 or 14. While football is a popular high school sport in his hometown of Dallas, golf practice was after school as opposed to before school.

More: Photo Gallery: Western Printing Pro Am

Golf over the gridiron

And so it was golf over the gridiron for Winston in football-crazed Texas.

"Naturally, now I wake up at 5 a.m. every day," he said.

Zander Winston practices at the Moccasin Creek Country Club in Aberdeen on Thursday afternoon.
Zander Winston practices at the Moccasin Creek Country Club in Aberdeen on Thursday afternoon.

Winston golfed at Cameron University in Lawton, Okla. He has since moved to Scottsdale, Az., where he practices nearly every day. Although he has to get up earlier to beat the heat, Winston said the weather in Scottsdale is perfect for golf.

He said he initially wasn't even sure that he wanted to golf at the college level. But as he got more interested in the sport, he kept improving, eventually discovering his passion for golf.

Winston has since competed in tournaments all over the world, visiting countries like Spain and Portugal. He also competed in the PGA Tour Latinoamérica earlier this year, visiting Argentina, Mexico and Chile.

More: Sutton Bay ranked as South Dakota's top private golf course. Which others made the cut?

But Winston's favorite tournament? It's one he played in Dallas, where his family was in the audience.

"It's pretty hard to beat that experience.," he said.

Andrew McCain, left, and Zander Winston practice Thursday at Moccasin Creek Country Club in Aberdeen before the Western Printing Pro-Am.
Andrew McCain, left, and Zander Winston practice Thursday at Moccasin Creek Country Club in Aberdeen before the Western Printing Pro-Am.

'Circus wings are always a must stop'

While Winston has traveled through Latin America and Europe, he keeps returning to Aberdeen. He even has a favorite hangout spot: the Circus Sports Bar &Grill.

"Circus wings are always a must stop," Winston said.

He said that Moccasin Creek Country Club is one of his favorite courses as he competes in the Dakotas Tour. The circuit has 18 stops throughout South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

The Western Printing Pro-Am concludes Sunday. Online results can be found at https://tinyurl.com/2p8b65tm.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Western Printing Pro-Am golf tournament is this weekend in Aberdeen