ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Cole Hammer turned pro this year after compiling a resume that’d be the envy of any college golfer. He first made headlines when he qualified for the U.S. Open as a 15-year-old. Then he developed into the No. 1 amateur in the world, winning prestigious events like the Western Amateur and Big 12 Championship. He capped his career at the University of Texas by helping the Longhorns win their fourth national championship. The transition to pro golf is often a tough one, though, even for the best amateurs. Hammer saw that firsthand, missing the cut in his first six PGA TOUR starts as a pro. He was a combined 29 over par in those 12 rounds. “This summer was tough on the PGA TOUR,” Hammer said. “I just had about zero patience. As soon as I made a bogey, I felt like the world was ending.” The beauty of professional golf is that a player’s career can change drastically in a single week. Hammer has also experienced that firsthand after a T5 finish at The RSM Classic, the final official PGA TOUR event of 2022. Hammer, who was in the field on a sponsor exemption, also earned a start in the first full-field event of next year, the Sony Open in Hawaii, and valuable non-member FedExCup points. He was atop the leaderboard after each of The RSM’s first two rounds after shooting 64-66 but had two bogeys and a double on his first five holes Saturday to tumble down the leaderboard. He made two birdies and was bogey-free for the remainder of the round, then shot 65 on Sunday. “What a rollercoaster, so many ups and downs,” he said. “I’m just so proud of the way that I fought and battled out there. It gives me a lot of confidence moving forward and leaves a great taste in my mouth going to the offseason.” Only four players bettered Hammer’s Sunday score, and they all shot 64. He finished the week ninth in Strokes Gained: Putting, gaining more than three strokes on the greens Sunday. He holed a 30-footer on the 13th hole and half of his six attempts between 10-20 feet. His Strokes Gained: Putting doesn’t include a 77-foot hole-out from the fringe on the third hole Sunday, either. “It’s big for … me moving forward in terms of confidence,” Hammer said. “It had taken a while to get there, to get comfortable enough to be able to trust myself on the biggest stage, but I think I do now. Actually, I know I do because I proved it to myself today under a lot of pressure.” Hammer, who finished fifth in this year’s class of PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global graduates, also has conditional Korn Ferry Tour status for 2023 after finishing T59 at the Korn Ferry Tour Q-School two weeks ago. It was his position in the top five of the PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Ranking that earned Hammer his spot in Q-School’s final stage. Hammer is uncertain how many starts he’ll get on the Korn Ferry Tour next year, but his amateur success could make him a popular candidate for sponsor exemptions. As should his recent success. Hammer made three of four cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, including one top-10. He also made his first PGA TOUR cut at last week’s Cadence Bank Houston Open in his hometown. A second-round 65 earned him his first weekend tee time and he shot a 68 on Sunday to finish T27. He heard last Friday that he was a candidate to get an invitation to The RSM but his spot wasn’t confirmed until Sunday evening. This was his fourth sponsor exemption of the season, leaving him three more until he hits the non-member limit of seven. He is uncertain what his schedule will be in 2023, but he knows one thing. He can compete on the PGA TOUR.
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