What Wyatt Worthington II waited for his John Shippen Invitational trophy, was introduced to Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders, and struck up a conversation.
Worthington notably idolizes Tiger Woods, from whom he received a golf lesson his freshman year of high school, thanks to a partnership between First Tee of Columbus and the Woods Foundation. He is also fond of Sanders, whom he watched playing with opposing defenders on television growing up.
Before brandishing a note sheet and delivering his victory speech at the detroit golf club on Sunday, Worthington jotted down the most memorable line from his first meeting with the former Lion: “Opportunity masquerades as hard work,” a sentiment Sanders told Worthington his father used to express.
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Worthington got down to business Sunday, shooting a 7-under 65, eight shots better than his Saturday effort. The PGA club professional totaled 138, six under par, to clinch a Rocket Classic Mortgage waiver for one stroke. He qualified for the 2016 and 2022 PGA Championships as a club pro, so next weekend will be his first PGA Tour event without that designation, and he couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity.
“Here there are great gentlemen and 22 players who at any given time can be in this place and also deserve their flowers; they have the game to be on the PGA Tour,” Worthington said. “And I’m very lucky to be a part of them with me, because at the end of the day, steel sharpens steel, and if it wasn’t for these guys pushing each other every time we put a tee in the ground, it wouldn’t give us the chance to get inside the ropes like this, so it’s been amazing.”
Worthington, a teacher at Golf Depot in Gahanna, Ohio, felt he played better than his four-bogey card indicated on Saturday; he remained patient entering Round 2 on the sodden and windy field designed by Donald Ross. Worthington birdied Nos. 4 and 5 and shook off a wayward tee shot that led to a bogey at No. 6.
He bounced back on birdies 7, 8, 10 and 12 and stayed strong down the stretch, adding birdies on numbers 16 and 17 while hanging around the fairways with caddy Andy Gibson, one of his best friends from college.
“I just told him, I was like, ‘Let’s try to cash in on the par fives,’” Worthington said. “We didn’t do a good job of it the first day, and the main thing (is) you’re not done after 17. I was like, ‘We’ve got to get the ball in play and we’ve got to give ourselves birdie chances. the 18.’ And if anyone has seen the 18th green or been lucky enough to play it, that’s one of the toughest greens I’ve ever seen.”
Michael Herrera, who finished a shot behind Worthington at 5-under 139, discovered the difficulty at No. 18 when he missed a birdie putt to tie for the lead. He thought the putt was for a win after last checking the scoreboard after a birdie on No. 15. Ryan Alford, his friend and competitor, informed him otherwise as he walked off the course.
Herrera couldn’t rekindle the magic of his APGA victory at TPC Scottsdale in April, when he victoriously sank a putt on No. 18. But the Southern California native still walked home with $2,000 and was pleased with the way he competed.
“I hit the putt where I wanted to,” Herrera said. “It just didn’t fall off and we fell short. … The conditions were not so easy on the second day, it was windy. Hitting the ball was great, I just needed to see a couple more putts fall.”
Tim O’Neal, the 2021 Shippen winner, shot 66 on Sunday and tied Aaron Beverly for third at 4-under. His partner on Sunday, Flint native Willie Mack III, finished three strokes behind Worthington in a five-all tie for fifth along with Ann Arbor native Marcus Byrd, Detroit native and Wayne State graduate Joe Hooks and Michigan State golfer Troy Taylor II.
Taylor was honored as the best amateur finalist. He said that he loved seeing the stands of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, providing the atmosphere of a Tour event. The Westerville, Ohio, native also enjoyed playing with Worthington, who has known and rooted for the MSU standout since he was a kid, just as Woods mentored him.
“Watching him win is unbelievable,” Taylor said. “But all these guys here gave me their two cents on how to try to get to that level, and there are little things that they can give me to grow and be ahead of them when they were my age. It means a lot and I am very grateful for the opportunity.”
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After Taylor and Herrera were recognized, Worthington nervously delivered his humble celebration speech, which he hopes will improve in the future, and then shot a promotional video for the Rocket Mortgage Classic with Sanders.
He told the Lions big man that he hoped to play a round with him soon, before learning he joined him on the field for Tuesday’s celebrity fight. They’ll tee off with Mack, Hooks and former Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, among others.
Then, when the Rocket Mortgage Classic kicks off on Thursday, Worthington will face PGA Tour stars including World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, No. 13 Will Zalatoris and No. 17 Tony Finau. Worthington missed the cut in his two PGA Championship appearances, but now he has another chance to show how hard he’s worked.
“I’m excited to play with the best in the world, because at the end of the day, that’s where I want to be,” Worthington said. “And I have to thank the good folks at Rocket Mortgage and Intersport and the Detroit Golf Club for inviting us and giving me this opportunity, because without this opportunity, I wouldn’t be here.”
Contact Mason Young: [email protected] Follow him on Twitter: @Mason_Young_0