The PGA Tour has eight new winners in this season. Davis Riley and Nick Hardy won their first victories together at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
Viktor Hovland denied Denny McCarthy his first victory on Sunday.
McCarthy isn’t the only one. In the first 15 Tour titles that 14 players have competed for, they’ve finished second or tied for 2nd 15 times. Netflix’s documentary “Full Swing”, which aired in 2016, taught us that winning is difficult. Don’t drink when a player says that, or you might not be able to make it through the entire episode.
Gary Player, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, once said that “the only people who remember you when you finish second are your wife and dog.” But only if they’re good.
Dale Earnhardt, NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt, also didn’t mince his words, saying that “Second Place is the loser of first place.” Second place is not an option.
Let’s look closer at the runner-ups of this year, who came so close to winning their first Tour title and gaining another rung in the ladder of professional golf.
