Nick Bienz certified for the PGA Tour’s Rocket Mortgage Traditional in stunning vogue on Monday.
ACaseOfTheGolf1/Ryan French/Twitter
Nick Bienz was unusually nervous, and so he did what many unusually nervous folks do. He ordered a drink.
After which a second.
After which a 3rd.
After which, solely after the third beer was in his system, he realized that he had cause to be much more nervous. Which is how Bienz, a Golf Galaxy worker with a grand whole of zero main professional begins, wound up striding out to a playoff for a spot on this week’s Rocket Mortgage Traditional somewhat … tipsy.
Bienz’s success begins with one in all professional golf’s most ruthless traditions, the Monday qualifier. Most weeks through the Tour season, these one-day, win-and-in occasions are a lifeline for these on the fringes of the professional recreation. Present up, play 18 holes, and in case you rating properly sufficient, you can also end up enjoying in an actual PGA Tour subject with an actual likelihood at a payday — however do ensure you carry your recreation, as a result of on many weeks even a rating within the mid-60s isn’t sufficient to earn your approach into the sphere.
Bienz, who’s a registered professional golfer however has by no means competed larger than the state-open degree, discovered himself within the Rocket Mortgage Monday qualifier subject in a lot the identical headspace. His day job at Golf Galaxy afforded him the liberty to compete within the Monday qualifier, however that may in all probability be on a regular basis off he wanted.
However then play started and issues went haywire: Bienz fired a surprising 65, and all of a sudden discovered himself with the clubhouse lead. He returned contained in the clubhouse at The Orchards Golf Membership in Washington, Mich., and commenced the lengthy look forward to the remainder of the sphere to clear, which is when he met up with Monday Q Information’s Ryan French and commenced to sip on a beer.
After which a second beer. After which a 3rd.
By the point he reached the underside of the glass, it turned clear {that a} 65 wouldn’t be sufficient to get Bienz into the Rocket Mortgage Traditional. A five-for-four playoff ensued, and Bienz trudged again onto the course somewhat wobbly.
“Keep in mind how I mentioned three beers could be an ideal quantity?” He advised French. “Nicely, I’m excellent.”
Finally, after greater than eight holes of Monday Insanity, the qualifier got here to an finish with Bienz as one of many winners. The Golf Galaxy worker is one in all 156 gamers within the subject at this week’s PGA Tour occasion — and competing for a chunk of greater than $9 million (!) on the Rocket Mortgage Traditional.
