The Faces of January
My first month of 2025 didn’t necessarily go as planned. The first four Korn Ferry Tour qualifiers of the year are the toughest. Many players who have conditional status, as well as those who have status on PGA Tour Americas, play in them with hopes of starting the year on a high. If a player qualifies into one of these first four events and then plays well in that event, it could potentially set up the rest of their year on the Korn Ferry Tour.
January afforded me the opportunity to play alongside a lot of strong players who have played this game all over the world. Picking their brains as best as I could, it was an exciting month of seeing new faces and listening to their stories, all in an effort to pick out one ‘nugget’ to help me in the future.
Shooting around par won’t cut it in these qualifiers, as only 4 golfers make the cut out of a whopping 240 highly qualified players.
January was a month of discovery. It was one that allowed me to experience different parts of Florida, different courses, and different pillows, as generous families opened up their homes.
While the golf didn’t go as planned, I don’t see January 2025 as an unsuccessful month. The goal is to learn, and that learning continued.
The most fascinating part of this journey since May of last year has been the people I have met. This month was no different.
Charles Chong - At 38 years old, Charles is chasing his dream. I played with him for one round during a tournament at Coral Springs Country Club. Tournament rounds vary with conversation, and Charles was friendly and smiley the whole round. Our group learned that Charles lived out of his car, and his “home” in Colorado was a place he only saw for one day in 2024. Turning pro just two years ago, Charles had previously made his living playing fantasy football, most famously winning a million dollar cash prize in a DraftKings challenge. Quite the story! A Planet Fitness membership and his golf clubs are all he really needs.
Julian Suri - Ranked as high as 60th in the world in 2018, I played with Julian in a practice round for a Korn Ferry Tour Monday Qualifier. With conditional status on the tour, Julian was just hoping for a chance in an event. Two weeks later, he got a start in the Bahamas that resulted in a T24 finish, likely setting up the rest of his year on the Korn Ferry Tour. It was cool talking to him about his experience on the European Tour, and what he suggests when setting up a schedule.
Garrett Hoyt - For a couple of summers in college, I would play the Monroe Invitational, a high-level amateur event in Rochester, New York. I became friendly with one of the assistant pros there, Garrett Hoyt. A few weeks ago when I was down in Vero Beach, I was fortunate to play out of Johns Island for two days. Out of nowhere comes Garrett, who runs up to me on the putting green with a big high five. He spends his winters at Johns Island Club; the world can feel quite small.
Bo Hoag - In the back-half of his career, Bo is trying to get back into his old form.
An All-American at Ohio State before graduating in 2011, Bo quickly found success on the Korn Ferry Tour, holding his card for several years before finally winning in 2019. After a promotion to the PGA Tour, which culminated in 3 years and over a million dollars, you will now find him playing mini-tour events and Monday qualifiers this year since losing that card. I recently played with him at a Monday Qualifier. Kind and respectful, Bo went about his business casually, saying he didn’t get much sleep the night before with his little kid running around the house. It has been cool to see pros in different stages of life.
Tim Noonan - One of my favorite days of January was a day spent at Johns Island West. I was fortunate enough to play the course, only to be paired up with another single on the first tee: Tim, from St. Louis. At 60 years old, Tim walks every time he plays. A graduate of the Naval Academy and the Wharton School of Business, he was unbelievably impressive. We chatted about meditation, religion, and the purpose of life in an impactful 5 hours. It was truly a special day!
January was a month of putting myself out there and meeting new faces. With each relationship forged, the world feels that much smaller. And in a world that can sometimes feel big and overwhelming, January was a nice gift.
