It was a heartfelt and profound hug. After making a long eagle putt, Erik van Rooyen lifted one fist as his caddie, Alex Gaugert, raised both arms in the air. The player and caddie exchanged a solemn look. There was nothing these lifelong friends needed to say. They were aware already.
They did this for Jon.
Jon Trasamar was a golfer at the University of Minnesota with Van Rooyen and Gaugert. As a team, they captured the 2014 Big Ten Championship, while Trasamar placed third individually.The grind of professional golf continued to leave him. He engaged primarily in mini-tours. He had a side job as a caddie to supplement income. In 2022, he married Allie, his wife, whom he met in 2016.
This was followed by melanoma. Cancer. When the cancer resurfaced and spread throughout his body on Tuesday, Van Rooyen and Gaugert received a text message while he was still in remission. Following his victory at the World Wide Technology Championship on Sunday, Van Rooyen acknowledged the awful reality. There was no way his pal would survive. On Monday, he and Gaugert would take a plane to Minnesota to see him for what would probably be the last time. Van Rooyen stated that his friend may not have much longer than six to ten weeks.
That’s life, too. actual life. He is aware that his wedding’s best man won’t be around for very long.
Shortly after it was announced that he had won at El Cardonal at Diamante, van Rooyen declared, “Every shot out there today was for him.”
Following his round on Friday, Van Rooyen acknowledged, he went back to his hotel room and started crying. A victory, he declared on Saturday night, would “mean everything” since it would guarantee his employment beyond 2024. He started the week ranked No. 125 in the FedExCup Fall standings, just on the edge of keeping his TOUR exempt status and being able to see his pal at home.
Van Rooyen left South Africa when he was 19 years old in order to enrol at the University of Minnesota. Trasamar and his family met him at the airport; they were roommates in college for three years and lived two hours away from Minneapolis.
“For me, he was like a brother” Van Rooyen said.
With this victory, Van Rooyen gains a lot, including job stability, access to major events, and about $1.5 million, but he claimed that winning wasn’t the main focus. Van Rooyen prevailed, even though he might not have bothered whether he won or lost on Sunday. He also did win in style.
4 players were separated by only 1 stroke going into the 72nd hole on Sunday, adding to the high drama of the day. Van Rooyen, though, wasn’t thinking about himself. Because he wasn’t thinking about the birdies , he didn’t give a damn about them. Van Rooyen couldn’t comprehend what his beloved friend was going through.
Van Rooyen made a daring attempt to win the entire thing before he realised it. In just 8 holes, he had already produced 6 birdies, including long drives on holes 16 and 17. He could not possibly be missing that eagle putt.
A remarkable back-nine 8-under 28 and a 9-under 63 on Sunday in Mexico gave the player a two-shot advantage over Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas. Van Rooyen won his first TOUR championship at the Barracuda Championship in 2021.
Rooyen acknowledged that the year had been difficult. He ranked 151st on the TOUR in Strokes Gained: Total heading into this week, having missed more cuts than made.
At the U.S. Open, he began training with coach Sean Foley, and he has gradually improved. Slowly but surely, the results have followed; in August, he tied for sixth place at the Barracuda Championship, and he came to Mexico riding a five-run streak of top-25 finishes on the DP World Tour and the Tour.
On Sunday, things came together quite strongly.
“Hear me out: that finale with the birdie-birdie-eagle is amazing. What had happened? 8-under par for the last nine holes is a pretty impressive finish. Its difficult to catch up with. When all is said and done, you tip your hat and declare that was some amazing playing.” Kuchar said.
Indeed, it was.
It was a committed victory. As the expression goes, surround yourself with people who will only make you higher.
About Jon Trasamar, Erik van Rooyen was aware of that. Gaugert’s hug was so intense that no words were necessary. They were aware. It was a friend’s victory.
“This is not what I’m going to be thinking about when I pass away, whenever that may be. I’ll be reflecting on the folks I cherish the most, and Jon Trasamar is one of them.” Van Rooyen said.
