Matt Atkins earlier this 12 months.
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Matt Atkins, on Friday, after the miracle, was requested simply 4 questions at Sea Island Golf Club. They had been sufficient, although.
Question one:
“I’ll start with the finish there, three-straight birdies. Can you walk us through the emotions of that finish?”
Yeah, OK, he may, however we’ll assist with some context. Oh, however the place to start? Actually, that’s straightforward. Family. Always them. Always first. The bespectacled 32-year-old from Pennsylvania and his spouse, Jill, are dad and mom to two younger women, Emma and Audrey. His pictures on Instagram of the gang, by the best way, are all lovely.
And sure, with this being a golf web site and all, Atkins is a golfer. Through his kids’s lives and most of his, Atkins has performed. He starred on the University of South Carolina-Aiken. He turned pro in 2013. And over that decade, he’s achieved what all however a sliver of {the golfing} globe may solely want for. Twenty-five high 25s on the Korn Ferry Tour. A win in 2017. A full season on the PGA Tour, too, in 2017-18, the place he cashed six instances. This 12 months? It’s been OK, with 14 cuts made in 21 begins on the Korn Ferry, although earlier this month, he missed advancing in Tour Q-School by one stroke.
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But right here is the place issues get most enjoyable, from the golf standpoint.
Atkins thought he was shut. We all do. The golfer’s plight. Only he was proper. He entered this week’s Monday qualifier for the RSM Classic, the ultimate PGA Tour occasion of the 12 months, and he survived.
And on Thursday, in spherical one, he shot a one-under 71.
But on Friday, in spherical two, he was leaderboard watching. And leaderboard wincing. Everyone else was 100-meter sprinting, it appeared, and he was ready for the gun. Fifteen holes. One birdie. Fourteen pars. Come on, man.
Then, on his sixteenth gap, a par-5, he birdied. Atkins two-putted from 70 toes.
Then, on his seventeenth gap, a par-4, he birdied. Atkins dropped a wedge to 4 toes.
Then, on his 18th gap, one other par-4, he birdied. Atkins labored a 5-wood to the left aspect of the green, nerved a 9-iron to 12 toes previous the opening and dead-centered the putt.
He’s in for the weekend.
Shoot, he can odor the lead. He’s six again.
So yeah, stroll us via the feelings of that end. Please.
“So this week was a big alternative for me Monday-qualifying. I simply didn’t need to let it slip by, however I attempted to simply inform myself even when — even when it’s meant for you to simply play and benefit from the expertise, you could have to be happy with that.
“You know, I kind of thought about that as I was walking up 7 [his 16th hole], and lo and behold, I finish birdie, birdie, birdie.”
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Question two:
“How would you summarize what’s on the line for you this week and what you’re playing for this week?”
Yeah, he may.
But how?
How do you summarize that this week was possibly it? That he wanted to stop?
He had said as much Monday, after qualifying. Maybe you would’ve already guessed that, although. Playing golf as a job is really elegant, however making a dwelling at it’s fairly suboptimal. For each Rahm and Rory, there are millions of Matt Atkinses, who’re seemingly a stroke away — and a stroke away. Yeah, he’s made these cuts this 12 months. But he’s additionally received simply over $88,000, which is good, if you don’t account for bills.
And household. Always first, proper?
How do you summarize that??
Here goes.
“Yeah. So I’m a conditional Korn Ferry member. I received an occasion on the market in 2017. I performed the 2017-2018 season out right here. I’m with out a doubt a higher participant than I used to be the 12 months I used to be out right here, and the final 4 or 5 years results-wise haven’t been one of the best. It’s simply been in that complete time, I’ve had two children and we’ve grown our household, and it’s superior. With that comes a little bit increased bills, touring enjoying the Korn Ferry Tour, and enjoying common or below-average golf is shedding me cash on the market.
“So I type of got here into the tip of this 12 months going into Q-School with a chance to get all the best way to the ultimate stage and even get out right here on the PGA Tour with the change in Q-School with 5 playing cards there. There was like a two-week stretch at residence the place I used to be simply, it felt like I had misplaced it and it was proper after I was going to Q-School and I performed so poor and I used to be like, man, that’s — it was simply tough to undergo that.
“But I knew, hey, I nonetheless have standing, nonetheless could make one thing occur, however financially was in a place the place paying payments was going to be virtually inconceivable.
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“So this was …”
Atkins stopped. You know why. You know what he was doing.
“Getting into the event was an opportunity, but making the cut …”
He stopped once more.
“And making a verify, we are able to a minimum of pay our payments subsequent couple months.
“You know, I took a big leap of faith trusting in the Lord a couple weeks ago and I told my wife I couldn’t have been more confident in the decision I made. We had been praying for just clarity and just direction on what to do, and discernment. This week was an unknown after I qualified, but I think the Lord has shown, Matt, this is where you’re supposed to be, stop, stop playing for yourself and for worldly things, just glorify me.”
He stopped once more.
“Sorry.”
The questioner stated he may take his time. Atkins then continued.
“And with our life, the place all the pieces’s at in a private matter, it’s the primary time I might say that, not that I broke down, however that I used to be absolutely like, OK, God, I can speak the speak, it’s time to stroll it. Having that religion doesn’t imply that I used to be going to play effectively this week or that I used to be going to qualify, it simply implies that I’m going to observe Him wherever He desires me to go. This qualifying right here, making the reduce is Him, I feel, pointing me in that path of that is the place I would like you.
“So that’s what I’m enjoying for this week. My purpose is to — if I had been to get again out full time on the Korn Ferry or out right here, to not slip again into the egocentric nature that’s inside all of us that, as a result of golf’s very particular person, it’s very efficiency primarily based and, , you may’t — there’s nothing you are able to do performance-wise that makes you ok.
“My hope is that moving forward I wouldn’t fall back into that, that I would just work for the Lord and that He would be satisfied with what I’m doing glorifying him and not making it about me anymore.”
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Question three:
“Matt, are you an emotional guy normally?”
Actually, he stated he wasn’t.
“But yeah, it’s simply been a actually overwhelming time and I feel it’s as a result of, like I stated, I used to be at a level the place it’s like you may’t simply discuss it, you could have to stay it. I feel it was simply an awesome factor in a optimistic approach.
“Like not one of the emotional moments on Monday or proper now are unhappy or miserable or must be checked out as a, ‘man, this guy’s going via a lot.’ It’s like, yeah, that may very well be true, that may very well be a method that some folks may take a look at it, however the overwhelming feelings have been of gratitude and seeing that the Lord is sweet and He will present even when it looks like there is no such thing as a approach.
“You know, wasn’t positive if we had been going to pay payments even come January. The Lord says, hear, I like you greater than something; I’ll present. It’s my promise. Don’t put your self in stuff right here that you just see in entrance of you.
“So the emotions have been overwhelming because of that. I’ve seen His promise and I shouldn’t need to see it to know it, but that’s how I’m feeling right now.”
Question 4:
“What’s something from you this year or in the recent past that you wish you could have changed, you would have done differently?”
One factor.
“This 12 months? I feel it’s simply really easy to get caught up in like that is a job for everyone out right here. Like I stated, it’s efficiency primarily based, it’s aggressive, it’s particular person and it’s really easy to get caught up in type of just like the rat race of pro golf.
“Obviously you must at all times strive to enhance your recreation and all that kind of stuff, however I don’t know, I feel it’s simply the mentality the final 4, 5 years of wanting to play effectively for cash, for no matter it’s. I’m not a tremendous materialistic individual, however it’s virtually like I used to be placing safety in cash. It’s like, oh, if we may simply play effectively and have sufficient sitting there to play the subsequent few years going ahead, that’s the place I’ll be safe. So safety’s not in cash.
“I feel that’s the largest factor I might have modified, simply my outlook on that complete state of affairs and never caring about that a lot. Like I stated, understanding that there will probably be sufficient to eat, to drink and to have garments and stuff like that.
“So I feel that will be the factor I might change probably the most, is simply being out right here and enjoying and never being so involved with what every week or what standing on the Tour will do for the subsequent nevertheless a few years. Just be — nonetheless be current, be right here on this second and simply get pleasure from it and no matter occurs is at all times meant to occur. It’s what’s meant to be.
“Even if that means winning numerous times, if that means losing your job, it’s for a reason greater than you can see at the moment, and sometimes you could be blinded to it because you’re so focused on what you wanted instead of seeing the opportunity that’s going to come from it.”
At this level, Atkins was completed. He walked away.
At 9:26 a.m. on Saturday, he was going to play golf.
