Jeremy Wells, one of 21 PGA Professionals on the Corebridge Financial Team at this week’s PGA, realizes he probably overdid it a little bit a year ago in his PGA Championship debut, playing four 18-hole practice rounds at Oak Hill. He was worn out by the time the tournament began.
The 33-year-old from Estero, Florida, who is PGA Director of Player Development at Cypress Lake Golf Club, had his reasons.
“I had a blast, but for us, when you come to one of these, you never know if you’re going to play in one again, right?” Wells said. “No regrets from that.”
Jeremy Wells, PGA is 3-under through 15 holes because of shots like this👏👏 pic.twitter.com/Nw1Ot5HC6N
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 16, 2024
Wells earned his way back into the PGA by tying for eighth at the PGA Professional Championship in Frisco, Texas, and Thursday he shot 2-under 69, low round among the PGA Professionals.
As good as the round was, Wells’ best moment of the week likely came on Wednesday. He was standing on the 10th tee, hoping to play a practice round – only nine holes this time, thanks – and up walked U.S. Ryder Cup players Scottie Scheffler (World No. 1) and Max Homa to join him.
You can only imagine how nervous that Wells was when he took the club back to hit his first shot, fans lining both sides of the fairway. He hit a good one, too.
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On Wells’ bag this week is his former college roommate and teammate from William & Mary, Spencer Kushner. Kushner works in finance in New York now, and was a bit surprised two weeks ago when Wells dialed him up and opened with, “So, how are your green-reading skills?”
“I was from California, and Jeremy was from Virginia, and we couldn’t be more different to be college roommates,” Kushner said. “Here we are, 12 years later, still buddies.”
So the two savored a special moment on Wednesday when Wells hit that opening tee shot alongside Scheffler, Homa and PGA Tour pro Ben Griffin, their fourth. Wells striped his first drive. Said Kushner, “He pulled me over to the side afterward and said to me, ‘That could have gone ANYWHERE.’”
Wells played nicely on Thursday, his round sparked by a 3-3-3 run beginning at the 13th hole. He very nearly jarred his approach for eagle-2 at the 424-yard 15th. He was only the second PGA Professional in the last 20 years to break 70 in the opening round of the PGA, joining Bob Sowards (69, first round of the 2011 PGA, Atlanta Athletic Club).
Back home in Florida, Wells has been mentoring a group of PGA associates working toward membership. He smiled and said the group assigned to him has been “slow playing” their book work. He thought he needed to motivate them, so he sent out a memo. He said he received zero responses.
“So hopefully they see this interview,” Wells said, smiling. “And I’m going to craft a good email next week when I get home and see if we can get it going, because this (playing in the PGA) is one of the very cool perks and opportunities as a member.”
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