Thunder Bay pro makes the grade

A few weeks ago I wrote a piece in the National Post about the struggles of Alan McLean, a big, long hitting South African who was having a tough time making a dime on the Nationwide Tour despite having a lot of talent. And when I say he was having a "tough time," what I really mean is that he wasn't making any money. None. Notta.
Still, he hit the ball just about as well as anyone I've played with, including the likes of Stuart Appleby and Kirk Triplett. Alan pounds the ball.
Well Alan finally made a breakthrough in Calgary on the weekend, finishing seventh on what was apparently a pretty tough course. He won just over US$14,000 for his trouble, which is nice because I'm sure he needed the money.
So what does this breakthrough mean? I haven't spoken with Alan, but maybe this is the boost of confidence he needed after struggling through a terrible slump. Maybe this propels him to greater things. We'll see....