Numbers to Know: WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational

DETROIT – No, golf is not life and death. But sometimes, it is death then life, and when you come across people built of such incomparable strength that they handle that most excruciating of sequences, you want for them to have a stage basked in brilliant sunshine and surrounded by adoring supporters. That moment arrived early Sunday evening for Nate Lashley – the stunning winner of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club – and it could not have been more perfect. Not because he had the 18th green to himself after romping to a six-stroke win over Doc Redman, but because he was embraced by his sister, Brooke, perhaps the only person is this world of ours who could even fathom the emotions that have consumed the two of them since that horrific day in May of 2004 when a plane crash claimed the lives of their parents, Rod and Char, and Nathan’s then girlfriend, Leslie Hofmeister. They had flown in Rod’s four-seat, single-engine Mooney M20K from Nebraska to watch Nate and his team play in the NCAA Regional and were returning home. “The rest of us don’t have a clue how he feels,� said Rick LaRose, who was Lashley’s coach at the University of Arizona 15 years ago when life changed forever. Brooke Lashley, who traveled to Pebble Beach two weeks ago to watch her brother play in the U.S. Open, was back home in Phoenix and a trip to Detroit GC “wasn’t on my radar.� At least, not until her brother, who got into the field mid-day Wednesday as the last alternate, started making birdie upon birdie upon birdie and Saturday’s third-round 63 propelled him into a six-shot lead. Then, the older sister said to herself, “I cannot not be there,� and that sentiment resonated in various homes in the Phoenix area, as well as with a small army of family friends in western Nebraska. Next thing you know, Saturday evening flights were made and Nate Lashley had an even larger following Sunday’s final round and when he birdied two of the first three holes, it was as if tens of thousands of people who flocked to this first-ever PGA TOUR tournament inside Detroit’s city limits were galvanized in a compelling drama of human spirit. “It made me feel like I wasn’t out there alone,� said Lashley, 36, a second-year member playing in just his 33rd TOUR tournament. Which was in stark contrast to all those times when he couldn’t help but feel alone and never felt the need to pull others into his private world. “Honestly, we’ve never talked about it and I’ve known him a long time,� said Ricky Romano, who played for the University of Houston, then on a series of minitours, crossing paths for years with Lashley. Two years ago, he agreed to caddie for Lashley, so, yes, there have been plenty of opportunities, but those who know Lashley afforded him well-deserved privacy. “I know Nate’s thinking about it. It’s got to be always on his mind,� said Greg Luebe, who coached Lashley in basketball at Mitchell High School in Mitchell, Neb. “But there was no way we needed to talk to him about it.� LaRose said he even offered Lashley as much time off as he wanted in the 2004-05 season, just months after the crash, “but he said no, that he wanted to return to school, play, and earn his degree.� Lashley did all of that, then he turned pro and struggled mightily, a poor season on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2006 led to one minitour stint after another until. What stands out is his success; Lashley won the Colorado Open, a couple of Waterloo Opens, he won on the Gateway Tour, on the EGolf Tour, on the Dakotas Tour, then in 2015 he won three times on the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, which afforded him a chance to play on the Korn Ferry Tour where in 2017 he won the Corales Puntacana Resort. The list was read off to Scott Stallings, a TOUR winner who smiled. He was one of those who competed against Lashley in the 2008 Waterloo Open, so he can appreciate the man’s spirit. “I have so much respect for what he’s done, because the valleys are way more than the peaks,� said Stallings. “I’m rooting for him.� Stallings stood in line and Adam Shenk was right there with him. A second-year TOUR member, Shenk played against and traveled with Lashley on the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and wasn’t surprised by the 27 birdies he made against just two bogeys in rounds of 63-67-63-70 – 263. “He’s not scared to go low, not scared to win,� said Shenk, who chose Lashley as his partner for a Latinoamerica team event in Mexico City. They finished eighth of 30 teams. “I think that attitude might have come from the adversity he faced in his life, that when compared to that, nothing really scares him.� Shenk, like Romano, never talked about the plane crash, but in the aftermath of his dominating win at Detroit GC – one that rewarded him with a check for $1.314 million, plus priceless job security – Lashley conceded that Luebe was correct. “I’ve been through a lot. It took a lot of years for me to get over (the deaths). It was mentally holding me back for a long time,� said Lashley, the world’s 353rd-ranked player whose only other top 10 before this week was a T-8 in Puerto Rico. “I think of my parents all the time. Without them, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now.� Mixed into all those years of minor league golf was a time wen Lashley felt he needed to get a real job, so he turned to real estate. Brooke Lashley laughs when asked if she served as counsel for her brother. “Nate’s his own man,� she said. She also rejects the notion that he walked away from golf. “I always felt it was more of a break than a quit.� But will commiserate with Lashley’s colleagues and peers, nearly all of whom described him similarly. Very competitive on the course, almost to the point where he spent too much time beating himself up, but gentle and lighthearted off it. In fact, on Tuesday evening of the U.S. Open, there was a small gathering, a cookout with steaks and beverages and good talk. “It was a great evening,� said Romano, “so I said to (Nate), ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but why can’t you be like this on the golf course?’ � Romano isn’t sure, but he wonders if Lashley took that to be the compliment it was intended to be. Because even after he failed to get through the Monday qualifier for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he remained upbeat. On Tuesday, Lashley was playing Detroit GC and came across veteran rules official Mark Russell, who encouraged him to stay positive, that he’d likely get in. He did and oh, did he take advantage. He birdied the very first hole, went out in 32, and little did anyone know that a story that would define the human spirit was being scripted. The vibes started building and out in Mitchell, Neb., the man who cherished his days as a high school basketball coach, embraced everything about this developing story. “Just amazing, given the tough times in his life,� said Luebe. “He was only 6-1, but he’d come up to me, knowing the other team’s best player was 6-4 and he’d say, ‘I’ll guard him, coach.’ Just a tremendous competitor.� If you sensed there were tears at the other end of the phone line, it was for good reason. Luebe was great friends with Rod Lashley, “we used to play a lot of golf together,� and it’s painful to recall the day that single-engine plane crashed into Gannett Peak in Wyoming. “The whole story still gives me a sense of sadness. But if anybody deserves something like this to happen to him, it’s Nate.� And Brooke, of course. The proud and incredibly strong sister stood greenside with Ashlie Reed, Lashley’s girlfriend, and a dozen or so friends from Phoenix and Nebraska. Everyone got a hug in with the winner, but Brooke’s was long and warm and filled with tears. “It’s a great lesson, that you can go through really, really tough times and still come out on top,� she said. Asked for what she said to her brother, Brooke wiped away tears and shook her head. They will remain private, just for brother and sister. The rest of the story is for everyone, for which we are blessed.

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There’s a lot going on this week. Jon Rahm has No. 1 in his sights. Tiger Woods has one more round to get through. And Muirfield Village grew some teeth in a hurry.

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Broken home. Low income. High crime in the neighborhood. DeAndre Diggs grew up in Baltimore and was faced with these harsh realities from an early age. He wasn’t alone. Many families and kids in the area could relate to the challenges of overcoming financial hardships and crime-ridden neighborhoods. When things seemed as though they couldn’t get harder, Diggs’ home was broken into. His family had to rebuild all that had been taken from them, which was not a lot to begin with. Trying to financially recover, the Diggs family continued to try to give their son two things they still did have – love and structure. “My story is similar to others in Baltimore,” said Diggs, “but my family made sacrifices. At the end of the day, it’s not where you were born, but how you were raised. “I had a loving environment and I had structure. I was told right from wrong.” Just as hope began to be restored, less than a year later, the unimaginable happened – a house fire that destroyed their family home. “We lost everything – twice,” said Diggs. “My family was poor, going further into debt and they still tried to keep me in private school. It just kept pushing us further back.” Although Diggs and his family felt like they were in a dark tunnel with no light, Diggs always wanted to keep pushing forward to “see something.” And, while he may not have realized it then, that light he saw at the end of the tunnel was Caves Valley Golf Club. “It was life changing since my first day at Caves Valley,” said Diggs. Caves Valley is where Diggs took his first job, and the club has rallied around him and his story ever since. “It was a great platform to see a cohesive team and work for someone that paid attention to their team and had community involvement,” said Diggs. “It was one of the best clubs that had a community that showed how to become a leader.” Diggs had been part of the First Tee – Baltimore since he was eight years old, his first exposure to golf, and Caves Valley helped to really stir his passion for the sport. “I was interested in playing for my team in high school, but I got cut the first time,” he said. “I was still very passionate about golf and kept participating at First Tee – Baltimore. “Every event, I was there. Sunup to sundown. Later one summer, I won the RBC Wealth Management Shot for College Tournament, which gave me a $2,500 scholarship.” Crediting his persevering attitude and work ethic to his experiences at First Tee – Baltimore, Diggs was able to make the golf team as an alternate the following season. He continued to improve, starting at the five slot for his team and working hard to be in the number one spot by his senior year of high school. Finding success on the golf course, Diggs knew his studies were also extremely important. He set his sights on higher education, driving himself to do his best in the classroom as well as learn as much as possible from leaders at Caves Valley. As his family continued to recover from their second home tragedy, Diggs started to chip away at the college application process. Naturally, he worried about the cost of higher education and exploring financial aid and student loan options. To Diggs’ surprise, however, he learned he had been selected as the recipient of a $100,000 scholarship from the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation. While Diggs recalls that his golf game at the time of receiving the scholarship may not have been up to par just yet, there were many people that believed in him and knew his story, and that was plenty. Diggs continued to work hard and went on to enroll at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the only HBCU that has a Professional Golf Management program. “Going to a university like UMES, I found there to be a lot of students with similar stories to mine, but at the same time, embraced that we all are unique,” said Diggs. “The other students had passions and desires, just like I did, so they were very beneficial to be around.” Diggs played for the golf team at UMES and was able to compete against other strong HBCU golf teams such as Hampton and Florida A&M. “It was great to play with other people that have been in our shoes,” said Diggs. With the scholarship from the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation, the months of August through April were covered. It was during the summers that Diggs had to find a way to continue to support himself financially. “I was thinking, ‘How can I make it from April to August with not much?’” said Diggs. Through the PGM program at UMES, students must complete 16 months of internships to be certified. Most of his summers, Diggs filled his time working at different golf clubs. His first internship was at Caves Valley as an outside attendant. The second was in Colorado Springs working in player services. He then became an assistant intern at Congressional working in the pro shop, serving as a marshal and overseeing the employees in the cart barn and driving range. Eager for more golf experience in different parts of the industry, Diggs even decided to work at a golf cart rental company, where he helped increase sales 20-30 percent, despite the pandemic. Currently, Diggs works at Cherokee Town and Country Club as an intern in food and beverage, where he continues to pave his way toward a career as a general manager at a club. “One thing I took away (from my Caves Valley mentor) is that you have to do a great job as far as managing your team and staff,” said Diggs. “This is the mindset I have when I’m in a management role. Everyone is a part of the team.” Diggs’ story hasn’t been easy. It has taken a lot of hard work and endurance to overcome his past. But between the help of his family and the Caves Valley Golf Club Foundation, Diggs had the support group to lead to his current success – and encouragement towards his long-term goals in the golf industry. Though Diggs’ story started similarly to those growing up in the tough neighborhoods of Baltimore, he’s determined to make sure it inspires others in the end.

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