Ardmore native Lee Hodges was busy Wednesday preparing for his next tournament on the Mackenzie Tour, Canada’s PGA Tour.

The recent University of Alabama graduate turned professional this year and is currently on the seventh leg of a 12-tournament tour.

He will tee off today in the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON Edmonton Petroleum G&CC in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is vying for the $200,000 purse.

The 23-year-old is currently ranked No. 18 on the money list, raking in $21,508 even though he didn’t play the first three tournaments of the season.

Hodges is also tied for first in scoring average with American golfer Mark Anguiano. Both men have 67.56 averages.

Hodges has been a busy man. He graduated in May, competed against Oklahoma State in the NCAA National Championship in June, and has been on the McKenzie Tour ever since.

So far, he thinks the McKenzie Tour has been great. On Wednesday, he was on the course playing with college golf buddies from places like Oklahoma and North Carolina.

“I’m not by myself here,” Hodges said. “It’s nice.”

Hodges also talked about the “nice” weather. He said when it’s burning up at home, he’s enjoying highs in the mid-70s.

“It’s perfect,” he said. “The golf courses are perfect, and I get the chance to make a little money.”

After the McKenzie Tour, Hodges hopes to keep moving on up.

“If I have to come back on this tour, it wouldn’t be the worst thing,” he said. “My hope is to make enough to get a Web.com card.”

The Web.com Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour. It features professional golfers who either haven’t reached the PGA Tour or don’t make enough to stay on the PGA Tour. Those in the Top 25 of the money list at year’s end are given PGA Tour memberships for the next year.

Hodges believes golf was a good decision for him. He started out just having fun with his dad, Jeff Hodges, but began taking the game seriously around sixth grade.

“At the time, I was too small for baseball, and I didn’t know I was gifted at golf,” he said. “Everything happens for reason, I guess. I never thought about it and did it for fun. Then, I looked up one day and I was pretty good at it. It’s a blessing to get to make money playing a game.”