Andrew Parr didn't sound exhausted. Despite just concluding the drive from Scottsdale, Ariz., to his home in London, Ont., Parr still had plenty of energy and time to discuss his life both on and off the course with the Canadian Tour.

"I have some time off and I had to bring my car back home so that's why I drove," said Parr of his cross-continent trek. "It's a long drive, but I enjoyed doing it. It gave me time to think and just enjoy the scenery before getting back to playing golf."

Playing golf is something Andrew Parr has done since he was eight-years old.

"My father was a member at an executive course," he said. "He brought me out one summer day and from that day on I would play golf all summer and then hockey in the winter. I went to a golf day camp every summer and took lessons."

Tragically, Parr was 12 when his father, Dave, passed away. His mother married Robbie Nash a few years later and Parr grew close to his stepfather.

Continuing to show promise on the golf course, Parr came under the tutelage of noted teacher Dave Woods.

"Andrew was 16 when he came to see me," says Woods. "What I noticed immediately is how hard he worked to get better. We would talk about ways to improve and he would just go out there and do it. Everyone seems to be looking for the one thing that it takes to get to the next level. It doesn't work that way. We have a program we call 1.1. What it involves is getting a little better at a lot of things.

"Andrew is very focused about anything he does," Woods continued. "I can see him playing the PGA Tour because he'll do whatever it takes to become a better golfer."

At 17, Parr captured the 2001 AJGA Eastern Canadian Championship, attracting the notice of American colleges.

"I wasn't recruited all that much," said Parr. "I visited Colorado and Texas A&M and immediately knew that A&M was where I wanted to be."

"Andrew gave us a call and we invited him down," remembers Texas A&M coach J.T. Higgins. "I had heard a bit about him after he won the Eastern Canadian title. I picked him up at the airport and within ten seconds I knew I wanted him on my team."

Why was that?

"Well, for one thing, we didn't have a very good team and I was desperate for players," laughed Higgins. "But the main reason is how he carried himself. He looked and acted like a professional golfer even at that age. He came across as wise beyond his years and he would look you in the eye when he spoke to you. I was amazed at how mature he was. Even back then his days were structured and he was goal-oriented."

"J.T. and I got along from the moment we met," added Parr. "We were on the same wavelength and I like to think I was coachable."

"He is coachable," agreed Higgins. "When Andrew got here he was a raw talent. He hit it long but he was all over the place. One day he would hit everything left and the next day everything was going right. We worked on eliminating one side of the fairway and then the other. Andrew has a very strong work ethic and I credit his upbringing for that.
"Andrew's influence changed a lot of people around here. In a lot of ways he built our program. His positive attitude and work ethic rubbed off on others. He led by example."

"I wanted to play for a warm-weather school and Texas A&M was the ideal fit," Parr notes. "J.T. was rebuilding the team and from my freshman year I got to play all the time. I was out there competing against Anthony Kim, Casey Wittenberg, Ryan Moore and James Lepp on a regular basis. Playing against that kind of talent forces you to step up your game."

Stepping up his game won him the Ontario Amateur in 2004 and 2006. One less than his step-grandfather, Jack Nash had won. Parr also represented Canada at the World Amateur, finished second at the Porter Cup and led Texas A&M to a sixth place NCAA ranking in his final year.

Turning professional, Parr joined the Canadian Tour at the 2007 Spring Q-School, but like many young pros, the transition to the professional game proved difficult and he lost his card before regaining it in the fall.

"The first year was kind of weird. Coming out of college I had high expectations and expected to be on the Nationwide Tour right away and it didn't work out that way," he explained. "Instead of making the most of where I was, I began to think too far ahead. I also learned to practice smarter, not longer. I used to be out there all day practicing and playing and you can burn yourself out.  I know that I work more efficiently now. My practice sessions are shorter but more intense and productive."

Just when it looked like he was on a roll, however, Parr suffered a mysterious illness last fall that temporarily paralyzed the right side of his body.

"A lot of people speculated about what happened," said Parr, who spent a week in the hospital. "The fact is, not even the doctors are quite sure if it was a mild stroke or something else. It was scary. One moment you're fine and then you're not. It does change your outlook on things. I've always been a calm person, but the experience taught me not to fret over the little things like I used to.

"You also learn how important family and friends are when something like that happens," he continued. "I've fully recovered and feel better than ever. In a lot of ways, it was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Showing how complete his recovery was, Parr, with J.T. Higgins on the bag, Monday qualified for the Houston Open in April.

"I got to watch him close up and I saw how good he was," said Higgins. "He was a very good player in college, but now he's even better. He's going to make it on the PGA Tour; I have no doubt about that. I'm proud of Andrew. He's like a member of the family and is always welcome at my home."

Fresh from his trip to the big tour, Parr headed to the Canadian Tour's Spring International in California. Cruising along with a six stroke lead heading into the final nine, Parr bogeyed the last four holes to fall into a playoff with Spencer Levin who shot 30 on the back nine. At the first extra hole, Parr pushed his drive right and made bogey to lose the tournament.

"I was extremely disappointed," he admits. "I should have won that tournament, but you have to remember that Spencer did his job by making a few birdies coming in.

"Although I didn't win, I know now that I can win tournaments at this level," he added. "I learned how competitive I could be. There will be other tournaments and other opportunities to win and I learned from it."

Like every Canadian Tour pro, Parr's objective is to play the PGA Tour. "I want to win this year and get one of the top two spots on the Order of Merit. Achieving that gets me past the first stage of Q-School and that much closer to the PGA Tour."

Despite losing his father at a tender age and suffering a possible stroke last year, Parr, 25, has kept his focus.

"Everyone has challenges," he said when asked of the obstacles he's overcome. "You just have to accept it and keep going. The support from family and friends throughout my life has been tremendous. My mother is the strongest person I have ever known and I give so much credit to her. I'm a better person because of what I've dealt with and I'm just happy to be healthy. I do my best to live in the moment. If I can do that, it makes life a lot easier."