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 observe spherical with Massa final weekend forward of the 124th U.S. Novice.
You would 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 the best way 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 to swing it like Massa, who at present cruises at a swift 127 mph swing velocity and as much as 190 mph ball velocity.
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 newbie. Massa, ranked No. 2,969 within the World Novice Golf Rating, avenged final yr’s U.S. Novice debut, the place he missed the minimize 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 successful 5 straight holes. “And with me having the ability to hit it so far as these children, 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 making an attempt to get essentially 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, growing the swing yips, too embarrassed to even play casually together with his associates.
“I couldn’t break 90 to save lots of 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 give up taking part in, Massa began educating. He dove into that full-time, and enterprise rapidly flourished.
“With the way in which the sport goes, with everybody desirous to hit it farther, every part fell into place with my job,” Massa mentioned.
Instruction ultimately re-ignited Massa’s ardour for the game. He started learning the golf swing and began spending extra time training on his personal recreation. He acquired his newbie standing again in 2019, broke by means of together with his swing a yr later, and a yr after that he performed his first match in a few half-decade.
“I really like the competitors,” Massa mentioned, “and I needed to hopefully get again to the place I might 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 Novice, dropping in a playoff. He certified for his first U.S. Mid-Novice later that yr, and final yr he reached the quarterfinals of that championship whereas additionally Monday-qualifying for the PGA Tour’s AT&T Byron Nelson.
He’s certainly one of 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. Novice in 11 years.
Massa’s Spherical-of-32 opponent is incoming Stanford freshman TK Chantananuwat, who received an Asian Tour occasion in 2022 to turn out to be the youngest participant to ever win an OWGR-ranked match at 15 years, 37 days previous.
“These children are so good,” Massa mentioned. “I’m simply making an attempt to remain in my very own lane.”
Even at 36, Massa’s lane is the quick lane.
