First Time Winner, New PGA Tour Member and an Incredible Redemption Story

Some interesting things happened in professional golf at the end of February. A first-time winner on the PGA Tour made the cut on the number, the first time a player has made the cut and gone on to win since 2016. An amateur earned his PGA Tour card through the new PGA Tour University accelerated program. A former motorcycle gang member, who spent five years in prison for assault, won the 104th New Zealand Open to earn a spot in The Open Championship.

All of these provided great story lines.

Joe Highsmith grabbed his first PGA Tour win by making the cut on the number then blowing past the field with a pair of 64’s on the weekend. The last player to make the cut on the number and go on to win was Brandt Snedeker at Torrey Pines in 2016.

Luke Clanton, the Florida State junior, earned his PGA Tour card through the new accelerated program for college players. He earned 14 of the 20 points he needed playing PGA Tour events. Not only did he play well enough to earn the points in 11 starts, but he also had 5 top-15 finishes and two runners-up. Very impressive play.

Perhaps the craziest story belongs to Ryan Peake. Peake was a rising star as a junior golfer in Australia. He fell out of golf and became a member of the Rebels motorcycle gang. At the age of 21, he received a five-year jail sentence for assault. Now, at the age of 31, he is heading to The Open Championship after winning the New Zealand Open.

Golf, and sports in general, always seem to provide great story lines. We find ourselves rooting for athletes we never heard of before. We’ve seen stories like the ones above before.

There’s John Daly bursting onto the golf scene with his dramatic victory at the 1991 PGA Championship at Crooked Stick. Daly, an unknown, was the ninth alternate. He drove all night to arrive at the course Thursday morning, and it wasn’t until he arrived that he learned Nick Price had withdrawn affording Daly the chance to tee it up. Without playing one practice round, Daly went out, won a major and became a legendary figure in the world of golf and sports.

Perhaps the most charismatic professional golfer of all-time is Arnold Palmer. He had his own fanbase, Arnie’s Army. He brought golf to the masses. He was movie star handsome. But the 1960 US Open at Cherry Hills cemented Palmer in golf lore. Prior to teeing off in the final round, Palmer was eating lunch with some of the other players in the locker room. Bob Drum, a Pittsburgh sportswriter, walked in. As the story goes, Palmer asked what a 65 would do for Palmer. Drum shot back it wouldn’t do anything because Palmer was too far back. Palmer got angry. When he arrived at the first tee. Palmer took a ferocious swing and sent the ball flying. The ball finished on the green. He made birdie and birdied 5 of the next 6 holes. He went on to shoot 65 and win by two shots over a 20-year-old rising star named Jack Nicklaus.

I love these stories. Especially the John Daly story and now Ryan Peake story. It’s difficult getting to the elite tours around the world. There’s talent galore. It takes hard work, dedication and resiliency. It takes time and money. It also takes the right personality. So, when a Daly or a Ryan Peake comes along, it’s easy to root for them because deep down we all understand how difficult it is to get to the pinnacle in golf or any sport. It’s amazing when it happens against seemingly insurmountable odds.

As always, be grateful when you play. Be thankful for the privilege and opportunity to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!