Hockey fans in the province of Manitoba know the name Rory Neill well. 
 
The 21-year-old combo forward-defenceman is a former WHL selection, taken by the Calgary Hitmen in the fourth round of the 2018 bantam draft. Between 2016-20 at the AAA and provincial midget levels, Neill recorded a staggering 237 points, showcasing his elite scoring ability and versatile play. 
 
"I started as a forward, and all the way until my WHL Draft year I was a forward. My coach changed me to a defenceman, I totally hated it, and after that I got drafted as a defenceman and rode it out as a defenceman for the next five or so years," he admitted.
 
"I was always more offensively gifted than defensively. I played with good poise, saw the ice well, was patient with the puck. Defence was never really the strong suit of my game, but I made plays offensively which I think carried on my career."
 
Neill suited up for the Hitmen in 2019-20, as well as the COVID season. Playing against athletes that were four and five years older was "eye opening," but also beneficial. And while the hockey was great, Neill struggled with the realities of playing in the bubble. 
 
"We were living in a hotel for four months. All we could really do was go eat with the guys at the hotel and go to the rink for practices and games and hop on the bus. It was very isolated. It wasn't really a full experience," he reflected. 
 
"After that year, mentally I was checked out. That was the grind and the life, and if you don't love that, to make it to the next level, that has to become your life every single day. And it's awesome for guys that do love it, but I just realized at that point that I fell out of love with the grind and the process."
 
That's not to say Neill lost his passion for the sport. 
 
From 2021-24 he suited up for the St. James Junior Canucks in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League (MMJHL), amassing a ridiculous 261 total points. In 2022-23, he helped lead his team to their first championship in 24 years, was a First Team All-Star, the league's Most Valuable Player and the league's Top Defenceman.
 
Neill led the MMJHL in goals, with 49 that season as a defenceman, with his coach Blair Mooney describing him as the most "dynamic and talented player" he's ever coached. 
 
To top it all off, Neill assisted the MJHL's Portage Terriers at the 2023 Centennial Cup, where he potted back-to-back goals in the team's opening game. 
 
Already a household name on the ice, Neill's made the transition to the green in 2024, suiting up for the Bisons golf team this season. 
 
He started taking the sport more seriously after coming back from the WHL, and fell in love with the grind when he was 18. 
 
"I was always an athlete growing up. I played all the sports that I could. I played golf with my dad when I was younger recreationally, and then when I went to Calgary and came back, during that COVID year I really took interest in it and bought my own clubs. Two years after that I was playing every day in the summer, practicing a lot. It got to the point where I was shooting some decent scores."
 
Joining Manitoba's golf roster was a "quick process" for Neill.
 
"One of the players on the team, Jordon McDonald works at the golf course that I'm a member at, at Glendale [Golf and Country club]. Talking to him about it all, it's something I was interested in but wasn't sure how it all worked. I texted him, and talking to him he said they had tryouts that particular weekend, and to get into contact with the coach. I sent Devon [Schade] an email, played well enough at tryouts and was good enough to make the team."
 
A composed presence on the greens, Neill's wedge play is one of his biggest strengths. 
 
"I like to think that I control my distances quite well. I'm pretty good from inside 100 yards and up to 130 yards. Just staying patient, I hit a lot of fairways, I keep the ball in play and don't make too many big mistakes."
 
Neill backed up that statement with an impressive showing at the Augsburg Invitational in Ham Lake, Minnesota last weekend to open the university season. 
 
One of nine Bisons on the course, he shot a combined 153 over two days, including a 74 on day two which tied for the best score of the round. Neill ended play as the top Manitoba finisher, in 13th out of a field of 84. 
 
"It was awesome. There were definitely some nerves the first couple of holes. It was a very different course compared to anything we're used to playing in Manitoba. One of the things I did well was just adapting to the different style of course, and from round one to round two making some adjustments in the game plan," he said. 
 
"One of the main things for me was how firm the greens were, and how hard it was to hold greens, even with wedges in your hand and out of the fairways. One of the things I really focused on during that second day was landing balls almost short of the green, no matter where the pin was, and taking the ego out of it, not trying to fly to the flag and spin it back, just bouncing it up and playing more recreational junior golf style. It helped me hitting a lot more greens on the second day."