ST. SIMONS ISLAND (Ga.) — Cole Hammer made his professional debut on the PGA Tour last week in Houston. He took advantage of a sponsor’s exemption to the RSM Classic. Cole Hammer won the first round lead at the Plantation Course at Sea Island Resort with nine birdies.
Hammer stated that Hammer almost blacked out for a bit. It was an amazing day, but it went quickly.
It was also unseasonably cold. On Thursday, the Seaside Course was barely above 50 degrees. Hammer, who had previously participated in the Jones Cup, an amateur tournament at Ocean Forest, was familiar with the effects of wind on these parts. He was dressed in four layers and a beanie.
He said, “When I played in the Jones Cup it was 35 degrees and blowing 30. It was raining so I decided I would never play in such weather again.” “I was prepared for it.”
Hammer was not prepared for six consecutive missed cuts that would have him start his professional career. This unexpectedly sharp learning curve came after an impressive amateur career that culminated in a University of Texas national championship in June.
He said, “It was a very dark period and I didn’t know what was happening.” “I was just putting too much pressure on myself in the tournament, that I didn’t want to support the 8-Ball.”
He missed the cut at August’s Wyndham Championship, so he took a deep dive into his swing with Bruce Davidson. Now he is beginning to see the results of their work. He narrowly missed out on guaranteed starts at Korn Ferry Tour Q-School’s final stage, and opened at the Cadence Houston Open with a score of 74.
“I just had about zero patience. He explained that as soon as I made a Bogey, it was like the end of the world. I relaxed in Houston, took a deep breathe and made some bogeys. I just said to myself, “I can come back. Nobody plays perfect golf.”
Hammer finished T-27 with a score of 65 in the second round. He felt a boost of confidence after he learned that he had been invited by a sponsor to the RSM Classic.
“I was batting zero in the PGA Tour. He said, “I needed to get that monkey out of my back.” “To do this in Houston, my hometown event was huge for me.”
Hammer stated that he had a bad night Wednesday and began his round with low expectations.
“No. 1 was my best drive of the afternoon. I hit my best drive of the day on No. 1, my 10th hole. That swing gave me confidence going into the back 9. Hammer stated, “I hit a wedge about two feet high and smashed it in.”
He was celebrating his fifth birdie for the day, and soon he saw his last name at the top of the leaderboard.
He said, “I saw cameras showing up, I knew that I was doing something right.”
Hammer’s 64 in the opening round was one stroke better than Ben Griffin, a rookie who also played at the Plantation Course. Callum Tarren from England said that the weather reminded his of home. Beau Hossler tied him for the lowest round at the Seaside Course, with 6-under 64s.
Hossler is a Texas grad at 27 who still seeks his first win on Tour. He said he can relate to Hammer’s slow start and hopes he will turn the corner, perhaps even this week.
He’s likely struggled a bit since he was a professional, but I don’t really care at what level you play, there are ups and downs. Hossler stated that he has experienced it throughout his career. “There’s a learning curve, and once he becomes comfortable at this level, much like I was, then I think he can start to compete with these guys. He has the competitive ability and the competitive nature to accomplish that. He just needs to get experience, become comfortable, be confident, and then play well and pop off when it’s right for him.
