Tommy Yu, the father of Kevin Yu, attempted to park in what turned out to be a space designated for previous winners early in the week at the Sanderson Farms Championship. Tommy remarked in passing that, you know, his son will have his own spot in there next year, like fathers do.
The Sanderson Farms Championship needed an extra hole to go to a playoff for the third year in a row, but Kevin ; an Arizona State alum whose father initially introduced him to golf came out on top against Beau Hossler to become the first champion on the PGA TOUR.
Feels fantastic. It is like if a dream has come true. This has been my dream since I was five years old. It seems so amazing to accomplish this with my parents here, I just think. I’m ecstatic because everyone was saying, “First wins are always very special and only get it once.”
Yu stuffed his approach to five feet and birdied the first extra hole. On the 72nd hole, he closed with a superb 15-footer to finish at 23-under.
On hole number 18, Hossler found himself in trouble right off the tee, but he punched out from behind a tree, knocked his approach down to a few feet, and rolled in a par. The 54-hole leader, Keith Mitchell, had a 35-foot birdie attempt to win in regulation, but it drifted past. Additionally, he missed the comebacker for par, which eliminated him from the playoffs.
“I’m sorry that’s how it ended. My play on the final nine holes was undoubtedly not at my best. only made one fairway hit, number 18. All I could do was struggle to stay in it. In any case, happy to have battled the 71-and-a-half holes.” Mitchel said.
Yu’s path to the PGA TOUR winner’s circle is one of optimism, tenacity, and, most importantly, a father’s love. Yu began playing when he was around five years old, and shortly after that his father constructed a driving range. It took Yu very little time to become proficient. Excellent. He remembers when he was just ten years old, beating his dad. Yu’s parents made a great deal of effort to get him to the United States and support his college education; coincidentally, they travelled to be in Jackson, all the way from Chinese Taipei, this week.
It’s quite special to have them here, Yu remarked. It’s not like I get to see them very frequently, so having them here is quite special. Simply incredibly grateful that they could be here. They played a part, I believe, in my victory today.
Yu took the last month to recover after a hectic summer stretch, and the triumph came after a healthy mental reset. Yu had participated in 6 straight PGA TOUR events, gone on to represent his nation in the Olympics, and then returned for the Wyndham Championship. It was his first FedExCup Fall start. Yu said that, mentally, he wasn’t completely into it through the last portion of the season.
Yu therefore returned to as basic an approach as possible this week. He desired to be more assertive and less concerned with the outcome. And that was all. It was also the best outcome of his career.
“This week, I felt incredibly at ease, and I think that taking a small vacation from last month really helped me to not think too much. After taking a brief pause, I feel as though my thoughts are completely new.” Yu said.
Yu is only the third player from Chinese Taipei to win a trophy in TOUR history, despite being the 12th rookie winner on the PGA TOUR this season. The first was T.C. Chen at the 1987 Los Angeles Open, and the second was C.T. Pan at the 2019 RBC Heritage. He’s not lost on adding Yu’s name to that short list. An honour. a source of motivation for future generations. And, to be honest, something very awesome.
“I simply demonstrate to them that we are capable of achieving our goals by working incredibly hard, maintaining a positive outlook, and having great dreams.” Yu said.
For Kevin Yu, winning on TOUR is the realisation of a dream.
Naturally, it also includes a good parking space at the Sanderson Farms Championship for the next year.
