Golf

2024 PGA Tour: Kevin Yu Realises Childhood Dream With Maiden Win at the Sanderson Farms Championship

Published

1m ago

Oct 14, 2024 / 6775 Views

Evan Walker

When Tommy Yu drove his son, Kevin, to the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship at the start of the PGA Tour’s tournament week, the first task at hand was to find a parking spot at the Country Club of Jackson. They spotted a bay and were all set to pull up when Kevin spotted that the slot was reserved for past champions. In a stroke of divination, the Senior Yu said, “We can after this week.”

Whether it was a father’s prophecy or just an off-the-cuff remark, one thing is true: Kevin Yu will be entitled to that spot going forward. On Sunday, October 6, Yu sealed a dramatic win in Jackson, Mississippi, with the action revolving around the 18th green of the par-72, 7461-yard layout.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

At 26, Yu found himself coming on the back of a not-so great season record with just four top 10s, which was never going to be enough to him a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. His parents’ words, however, buttressed their uNFLinching belief in him. For the man himself, it provided much-needed momentum to push forward in his quest to resurrect his career on a Tour he had dreamt of being on and winning in since his formative years in Taipei.

Childhood dream

The leap from the Korn Ferry Tour to the PGA Tour at the start of the 2022-23 season was a huge adjustment. In attempting to close the gap and being chastened, Yu nonetheless never let go of his dream of being called a “PGA Tour winner”. The vision of being at the centre of a prize presentation ceremony came true on Sunday, anointing Yu with the distinction of being just the third player from his nation to have won a PGA Tour event.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

Yu ensured his rightful place by staying in the mix in what was believed to be a contest between overnight leader Keith Mitchell and Beau Hossler, the man in chase. Yu wasn’t far behind the duo and helped his cause by ticking one birdie at a time.

To stay in the game, Yu was required to birdie the 72nd hole of regulation play and wait to force a playoff; he did just that with a 15-footer to sign for a final round 5-under 67. Tying with Hossler at 23-under 265, the tournament’s scoring record was breached since it moved to Jackson. However, a playoff is a test of skill, nerve, and some luck, and Yu ticked the first two boxes with a birdie from 6 feet on the 18th again, leaving nothing to fate.

Long haul

The realisation of his dream from the drawing board to the 18th green of the Country Club has taken time and a lot out of the family. In his moment of triumph, Yu placed his parents’ sacrifices over his journey, which started in the family’s home in Taoyuan before placing him in a flight to the US.

Yu enrolled at the Arizona State University in pursuit of a dream he had visualised every day he teed off, whether for practice or a tournament week. The picture Yu painted in his mind started to take shape when he finished top 5 in the inaugural 2020-21 PGA Tour University class to earn his place on the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour.

Raw and straight from the heart, emotions are best caught just off the 18th green, and Yu gave vent as his parents watched and came to terms with the enormity of the occasion.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

“To have them right here, it really almost feels like an impossible thing. I really thankful for my parents… Dad and Mom (Eileen), they always trust me very much and, that’s very special. Dad taught me how to play Golf since I was five and they worked really hard, sacrificed a lot of the things. It’s just without them I can’t have done this today,” said the champion.

Yu has set himself up for the rest of the season. Coming into the second event of the Fall Season ranked 96th, the win propels him to No 60 on the FedExCup Standings, and his Official World Golf Ranking up to 71.

The win has opened many gateways for Yu in 2025. This includes spots in Major Championships and the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, both opportunities that are good for the profile. “To play those Signature Events helps a lot for world rankings and all experiences. I feel like that’s very important to have,” said Yu.

Reprieve for mind and body

Missing the Playoffs meant Yu had time to return home and take stock after missing cut at the Wyndham Championship, the final event before the Playoffs.

Taking time to settle the mind, the best way out for Yu was to stay off golf for a while. Mingling with family and friends in between fishing trips, Yu readied himself for the grind ahead.

While Yu likely did not envision the breakthrough would come so soon, the break proved effective for his success. “I’m trying to do my best. I know I can play good, I can win out here. The key is to keep my mind healthy and as simple as I can.”

Playoff jinx continues

Beau Hossler went to bed ahead of the final day in the hope that his moment on Tour would beckon come Sunday, but Yu’s triumph in the playoff ensured that his luckless run in sudden death will continue.

The 29-year-old lost to Ian Poulter at the Houston Open in his rookie 2018 season, and will be hurting for a while after the latest episode, which handed him a career fourth runner-up finish.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

“Definitely stings, but you got to tip your hat (to Yu), said Hossler. The week marked his 200th start, and while a win eluded him once more, pushing the bar is a source of strength.

“The main positive is just getting under the gun and performing. It’s tough to get in a position to win on the PGA Tour. I was proud to get there, and then proud of my performance.”

Hossler will keep building on the experience of featuring in the leader group after a gap. “We play 28 weeks a year, and just to get in contention many times, this is what I train for and have been working for since I was a kid. It’s nice to be nervous, nice to hit good shots when you’re nervous.”

Itching for more

Overnight leader Keith Mitchell knows a thing or two about putting together a win. Despite falling back and settling for a T3 this time, the 32-year-old, whose breakthrough year came in 2019 at the Honda (renamed Cognizant) Classic, is thirsty for more.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PGA TOUR (@pgatour)

“I would do it every week if I was good enough to. I wish I was there more. Hopefully, this week can be a stepping stone to keep getting there and just eventually try to get another trophy.”

Making the right move

The Fall Season is a critical phase for finalising one’s status for the 2025 Regular Season. Cognizant of this, Alex Smalley did his cause a lot of good with a final round 9-under 63 that saw him zoom 17 spots to settle at T5, his best showing in 2024 so far.

In a season that stands out for misses, Smalley stood on the fringes at the start of the week. In his endeavour to make the list of 125 exempt for next season, Smalley is now up from 132 to 116.

Dotting the rounds with five birdies and two eagles, Smalley reminded himself that he hadn’t done this in a while; doing so under the pressure of a Sunday finish proved to be an exceptional boost for his confidence.

Next up is the maiden edition of the Black Desert Championship in Ivins, Utah, and “being pretty high up on the leaderboard, and finishing like that, is a great feeling to have”, said Smalley, who recently caught the public eye for his efforts beyond the realm of Golf.

Human touch

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alex Smalley (@alexsmalley_Golf)

Moved by the scenes of destruction unleashed by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and east Tennessee, Smalley did his bit by contributing towards the relief operations.

“I know it might not help out a whole lot because a lot of people have lost most of their livelihood. We may never know the true impact of the storm, but it’s the least I could do. If I can do the same thing I did this week over the next couple weeks, we’ll have a pretty good charitable contribution,” he said.

(Main and featured image: Raj Mehta/Getty Images)