A golf shop worker has qualified for the Rocket Mortgage Classic on the PGA Tour – after downing three beers before a playoff round.
Nick Bienz found himself surprisingly thrown into a 5-for-4 sudden death round against four other golfers, who had all levelled his score, reports the Express. Bienz was hoping to play at his first PGA Tour event – which will not include the high-profile name of Rory McIlroy, who has opted to to skip a number of events after his US Open collapse.
Bienz left the green with an impressive 7-under-65 score on the board as he shared the lead with two others. That set up a bumper battle for a place in the whopping £7.2million PGA Tour sanctioned championship.
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As he tucked into a pint, Bienz watched anxiously as other scores rolled in from players finishing their rounds. The golf shop worker’s hopes started to turn into nerves as two more players matched his score, forcing him to finish his third pint and gear up to head back onto the green to secure his first PGA Tour event spot.
Speaking to Monday Q Info, Bienz said: “I need every ounce of alcohol to calm the nervous system and not vomit all over myself. That’s where we’re at right now.”
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The Indianapolis-born golfer, who funds his pro career working at Golf Galaxy, was aiming to dodge the playoffs’ bullet and bag his debut PGA Tour start later this week at Detroit Golf Club’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. However, fate had other plans, and Bienz found himself stuck in a five-man play-off horror show alongside Beau Breault, Danny Guise, Brandon Berry, and Angelo Giantsopolous.
In his first round on the green, Bienz didn’t notch a single bogey and wrapped up with a 12-foot birdie putt. NBC Sports reports that Bienz said he “blacked out” during that final shot. Afterwards, he knocked back three beers while awaiting the tournament results – and ended up heading back onto the course to advance to the PGA Tour event.
It was reported that as he headed to the playoff round, Bienz said: “Remember how I said three beers would be a perfect amount? Well, I’m perfect.” Opponents Berry and Giantsopoulos managed to birdie the first and sixth play-off holes, punching their tickets to the PGA Tour event before Bienz clinched his place.
With a solid four-foot putt, Bienz bagged a birdie on the eighth hole, securing his debut in a PGA Tour sanctioned event – a fairytale moment fuelled by a bit of liquid courage. Last year’s Indiana Open champ, who also works at Golf Galaxy for three days a week during summer to support his golfing dreams, had to phone in sick after landing a spot in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
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Bienz said: “I have to call my boss and call out of work tomorrow. I’m supposed to be there at 7:30 in the morning, and I don’t think that’s going to happen.”