JJ Killin, 39, “Practice Range Pro,” became the center of attention by successfully qualifying for the Texas Open with ballet on Monday. Photo from the PGA Tour website
(Asia Economy Reporter Noo Rae Noh) ○…”I laid the foundation for life change.”
This is the story of JJ Killin (USA), “practice practice pro”, 39 years old. On the 30th (Korean time), he successfully qualified for the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour on Monday. During an 18-hole one-day tournament, he shot a 5-under-par 67 to tie for 4th place with Blake Elliott, and after a hard-fought playoff extending to the 7th extra hole, he earned his qualifying certificate. He said: “I won’t just get through Monday’s qualifying,” adding: “Who knows, maybe a magical thing like winning the tournament will happen.”
Killin is a golfer and the father of a 10-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. Although he played on the PGA Tour in 2012, he struggled to continue his playing life wandering here and there, leaving his family behind. Since 2017, he has worked as a professional teacher at a training camp in Lubbock, Texas. The last time he played in a PGA Tour event was five years ago. Unable to give up his dream of turning professional, he attempted Monday’s qualifying more than 20 times but repeatedly disappointed.
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Successfully completing Monday qualifying is considered a narrower gateway than winning a PGA Tour event. Active players with a lower priority ranking also apply, and only a maximum of 3-4 players are selected. Sometimes it becomes a shortcut to sudden fame. Corey Conners (Canada) cruised through Monday’s qualifying at the 2019 Valero Texas Open and cruised to victory, even earning the last remaining invitation to the Masters. Although he has yet to achieve a second victory, he has established himself as a respectable mid-tier player.
This content was produced with the help of AI translation services.
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