While chasing dreams, consistency can be elusive—unless you have a strong heart like Brian Campbell. The World No. 222 won the first PGA Tour title of his career, and what a victory it was!
Campbell, 31, faced nail-biting competition from 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter, who led for much of the tournament. The final round on Sunday was a thriller, with Campbell and Potgieter tied at 19-under.
The 72nd hole was the ultimate test, particularly for Campbell. He is the shortest hitter on Tour. Meanwhile, Potgieter is actually the longest.
Yet, both men managed to birdie the last, forcing them back to the 18th tee for a playoff. Both players parred their first playoff hole, sending them back to that same tee box once again.
This time, luck played a major factor in determining the tournament's outcome.
Campbell's drive was a flat out slice heading straight OB. The ball struck a tree branch and landed back into play in the rough with a decent lie. Suddenly, the World No. 222 was 311 yards from the hole.
The Californian seized the opportunity, birdieing the hole and Potgieter was unable to match him.
After winning with a solid 20-under par, Campbell's girlfriend, Kelsi McKee, burst into tears and rushed to hug the new champion.
"Yeah!" she screamed, as Campbell swung her around in joy.
After winning, Campbell exclaimed, overwhelmed with emotion, "I have no idea what's going on right now; I just need to soak this in."
"I couldn't thank everyone around me enough—my family, friends, and supporters back home. It's been an incredible journey."
When asked about the fortunate tree shot, Campbell expressed, "I hit a terrible tee shot, but the tree helped me stay in the game. I'm just glad I could keep the pressure on and pull through."
But that's not all, though. After entering the PGA Tour's winning circle, Brian Campbell also sent a message to fellow "players out there on the same journey right now."
And they were two words! "Trust yourself."
The Mexico Open winner ended by saying, "This is a crazy game that we choose to play out here, but keep believing in yourself and have a lot of grit out there. It's cool to see what can happen."
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