CHASKA, Minn. – Bobby Massa is a 36-year-old efficiency coach from Dallas, husband, father of a 14-month-old with one other on the way in which.
Oh, and he mashes golf balls.
“The man completely sends it on the market,” mentioned fellow mid-amateur Andrew von Lossow, who performed a follow spherical with Massa final weekend forward of the 124th U.S. Newbie.
You might say Massa practices what he preaches. Again dwelling at Sanders Match, a efficiency middle owned by former NBA participant Melvin Sanders, Massa teaches his purchasers methods to hit the ball far. Everybody from the weekend golfer to the skilled athlete, Massa helps them unlock their fast-twitch fibers, to allow them to try and swing it like Massa, who at the moment cruises at a swift 127 mph swing pace and as much as 190 mph ball pace.
On Wednesday at Hazeltine Nationwide, Duke’s Luke Pattern acquired VIP entry to the launch – and Massa’s size in the end wore on the world’s 73rd-ranked beginner. Massa, ranked No. 2,969 within the World Newbie Golf Rating, avenged final 12 months’s U.S. Newbie debut, the place he missed the lower by a shot at Cherry Hills, by not solely qualifying for match play however dispatching Pattern, 2 and 1, within the Spherical of 64.
“I simply love match play,” mentioned Massa, who trailed 1 down by means of 4 holes earlier than profitable 5 straight holes. “And with me having the ability to hit it so far as these youngsters, if I play nicely, I ought to be capable to compete.”
Massa, lengthy from a younger age as he matured late and was at all times attempting to get probably the most out of his body, performed school golf for Texas-Arlington earlier than graduating and turning professional in 2010. However simply 5 years later he was giving up the sport, creating the swing yips, too embarrassed to even play casually along with his pals.
“I couldn’t break 90 to avoid wasting my life,” Massa mentioned. “It was a catastrophe, to say the least. There have been many makes an attempt the place I didn’t get to complete as a result of I ran out of golf balls. I’ve hit some giant foul balls in my day. 150 yards offline was a cupcake at the moment.”
Shortly earlier than he stop enjoying, Massa began educating. He dove into that full-time, and enterprise shortly flourished.
“With the way in which the sport goes, with everybody desirous to hit it farther, all the things fell into place with my job,” Massa mentioned.
Instruction ultimately re-ignited Massa’s ardour for the game. He started finding out the golf swing and began spending extra time practising on his personal sport. He acquired his beginner standing again in 2019, broke by means of along with his swing a 12 months later, and a 12 months after that he performed his first event in a couple of half-decade.
“I really like the competitors,” Massa mentioned, “and I needed to hopefully get again to the place I may play once more and simply benefit from the strategy of it. … My confidence began to develop and my misses shrunk.”
In 2022, Massa completed second on the Texas State Newbie, dropping in a playoff. He certified for his first U.S. Mid-Newbie later that 12 months, and final 12 months he reached the quarterfinals of that championship whereas additionally Monday-qualifying for the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson.
He’s one among 5 mid-amateurs to advance to match play at Hazeltine. That group included 39-year-old Jimmy Ellis, the primary mid-amateur medalist on the U.S. Newbie in 11 years.
Massa’s Spherical-of-32 opponent is incoming Stanford freshman TK Chantananuwat, who received an Asian Tour occasion in 2022 to grow to be the youngest participant to ever win an OWGR-ranked event at 15 years, 37 days previous.
“These youngsters are so good,” Massa mentioned. “I’m simply attempting to remain in my very own lane.”
Even at 36, Massa’s lane is the quick lane.
