Boldy completes 1st round at PGA Tour Canada's CRMC Championship

BRAINERD, Minn. -- Matt Boldy won't be joining the PGA Tour anytime soon.

"Most definitely not," Boldy said with a laugh from Cragun's Legacy Courses on Thursday. "But it was fun."

Playing on a sponsor exemption in the PGA Tour Canada's CRMC Championship presented by Gertens, the Minnesota Wild forward finished his first-round with a score of 79, plus-9 for the day in the field of 156. The 22-year-old will play his second round on Friday, with the hopes of making the cut, which includes the top-60 field of professionals and amateurs.

"Anyone who's competitive is going to go out there and still want to play well," said Boldy. "But it was cool to just kind of go through the motions and seeing what it's like. It's definitely a lot different when you're out there with every shot that matters. It's a little bit nerve-wracking for sure."

Boldy is used to playing in front of a crowd of more than 18,000 at Xcel Energy Center at any given Wild home game, but the quiet crowd of more than just 20 that trailed him through all 18 holes left an impression as well.

"I think I was a lot more nervous today than I've ever been to play a hockey game, I'll tell [you] that," Boldy said, "But it was pretty cool to see the fans out here. Hockey and golf kind of go hand in hand a little bit, so there were a lot of fans of both.

"You see the little kids and their parents bringing them around, it's pretty cool. But I'm definitely a bigger fan of a team sport, I'll say."

Boldy, who signed a seven-year, $49-million contract with Minnesota on Jan. 16, expects several of his Wild teammates to come to the course on Friday to cheer him on. A little teammate support that will help push him through his first-ever PGA event.

"They'll bring a little bit of noise too, so that'll be pretty fun," he said. "Have some teammates around and rely on them a little bit."