Pushing for Prugh

On Tuesday I had an opportunity to follow Alex Prugh through nine holes of his practice round. He is much better at golf than I am.

Prugh finished in a tie for third in last year’s Cox Classic. He captured his first Nationwide Tour win back in March. The guy has been on a roll of late, and it’s easy to see why.

I know all of these guys are good and can put the ball wherever they want. But with a camera right in his face and a threesome of weekend hacks playing with him, Prugh was locked into each and every shot. Sure, this is what they do… they get paid to play and take hundreds of shots a day. But Prugh seems to be of a different breed. He’s one of the more down-to-earth professional golfers you will ever meet.

At 24-years-old, Prugh has amassed nearly $200,000 this year alone. To him, though, it’s not about the money. Sure, he says winning makes the game more fun. But to him it’s about holding that trophy and coming out on top, not receiving a big check at the end. He’s so competitive about the game, and at the same time he recognizes how fortunate he is to be able to play the game for a living. “It’s just a bonus,” he said.

His caddie is Zach Bixler, a former teammate of his at the University of Washington. Do a Google-search on Bixler and you’ll find that he tied an NCAA record with a single round 60 back in 2007. He told me he’s taking the path to the pros, and hopes to join Prugh on a professional tour someday. Now, he’ll settle for carrying his friend’s bag. These guys are fun, friendly, and have a chemistry on each shot that caters to success.

I’m picking Prugh this week.

Am I biased?

Of course. But why wouldn’t I be?