Rymer Bites: Saluting Nate Lashley

This week, Charlie Rymer pays tribute to a PGA TOUR golfer who overcame extraordinary personal circumstances to earn his first TOUR victory this past weekend at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

 

 

Charlie Rymer here, getting ready for a big Fourth of July weekend here in Myrtle Beach. I don’t know about you guys, but I am excited about the Fourth of July, and here’s how I’m getting ready for it. I’m getting the oil changed in my truck. Yeah, that’s it. Right up there. That’s how I roll. That’s a 2016 Toyota Tundra. That’s my baby. She’s gonna be running good for the Fourth of July.

Speaking of running good, how about Nate Lashley? What an unbelievable week, winning up in Detroit at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Wow! What an impressive win. I’ll tell you what specifically impressed me about it: (he’s a) 36-year-old, he’s been through a lot in his lifetime. When he was at college at the University of Arizona, he lost his girlfriend and his mom and his dad in a tragic plane crash. His dad was flying that airplane, and obviously that sort of sent him reeling trying to figure out life. Golf, obviously, was secondary to that, but he’s got it figured out now. Began the week trying to Monday qualify. Didn’t even earn a spot in the Monday qualifier. Ended up getting in on his alternate status with the PGA TOUR. And I tell you, I’ve done that a lot. When you get in an event that way, if you’re Monday qualifying or as an alternate, you just don’t really feel like you belong, but he certainly felt like he belonged.

It was a monster of a victory. Won by six shots. It wasn’t even close. Sort of makes you wonder where a young man like this has been hiding all of these years, but talent certainly comes to the top, and the other thing is overcoming the emotion of trying to win for the first time, and how much it means to him. That’s something that a lot of people don’t really understand. I’ve been there a few times trying to win for that first time, and it’s tough. The things you go through your mind, what all it means, you’re going to get in The Masters. All the majors, all the money that goes with that. And just the recognition that hey, you know what? I belong out here. I’m a PGA TOUR winner.

That guy right there. Oh, I thought he was one of the technicians. I was saying he needs to get back in there and get to work on that Tundra. Thing needs some TLC. Anyway, Nate Lashley, what an amazing week for him. I know he’s going to have a Fourth of July to remember. I’m going to have one, too. And I hope you do, as well.