Patrick Rodgers hits the tee on Saturday in the third hole of the Mexican Open.
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Jack Nicklaus He once told him to wait. He will do.
And that was kind of an issue with Patrick Rodgers For a while: waiting. Great things were expected of the 29-year-old ballplayer when he left Stanford in 2014. He was the #1 ranked amateur. He’s won 11 times with the Cardinal. name some dude Tiger Earn the same amount.
Then golf happened. Today, you can not miss. Tomorrow, you can not do. One day, you will be on top of the world. Next time, you have lost your round card. Rodgers has been solid for the past eight years. But not amazing. Three seconds. thirds. No wins. Last year, he was knocked out of the FedEx 125 Cup entirely and needed to finish 25th in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals to get back with the seniors.
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Rodgers finished 20th. And he’ll confirm that you probably don’t really appreciate what you have until it’s gone.
“Yes, I got my round card out of the Korn Ferry Finals, it was a great mental exercise,” he said on Saturday. “It definitely gave me some extra perspective and recognition for being a PGA Tour player, and I think that really showed up in the fall. I played with a lot of freedom, and a lot of gratitude for being a PGA Tour player.
“I didn’t really expect to be in this position, but I was proud of the way he managed it.”
Which brings us back to this week. Which brings us back to the golden bear.
Along the way, Rodgers developed a friendship with the main golf winner. In 2014, he was awarded the Nicklaus Award, which is given annually to the best college player. Rodgers is also a member of the Bear’s Club in Florida, and every time he sees the founder of the club. He did more than shake his hand a few times. Rodgers has a Nicklaus ear.
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On Sunday, he will have Nicklaus on his mind. Rodgers enters the final round of Mexico Open Three from behind the leader John Ram. It’s a tough job, regardless of the potential breakout on the line. But it is not insurmountable. This week, Rodgers said he prides himself on his patience, and will need to be more than that to win in the end.
After all, Niklaus Rodgers once told he never did try to to win. I just waited.
“Honestly, there are some tips I’ll try tomorrow,” Rodgers said. “It was really amazing hearing him say that, but he said he’s never tried to win a golf tournament. Obviously, he’s had his fair share, [but] He just tried to do his part and manage what was under his control and trusted that he would eventually get his way.
“So I definitely need to heed that advice as I take on this challenge tomorrow.”
Jack Nicklaus once told him to wait. He will do.
“As we all say, I don’t feel very far,” Rodgers said. “I don’t feel like there are huge gaps in my game and the fact is the practice is to be patient and have a full set of confidence every week. So I try to do my best to carry myself that way and luckily I have a great opportunity here tomorrow.”
