Did Brian Campbell Crack the Code?
Shaking hands, signing hats, kicking back before a playoff.
It’s strange, really.
In last week’s recap, Potgieter’s Moment, I chalked Brian Campbell’s Mexico Open win up to a lucky break — a bounce off a tree that kept him from starting his playoff hole with a penalty stroke.
I said the moment was taken from Potgieter. While I still feel a bit of that sentiment, I feel a little foolish. Because Brian Campbell can play… and you can’t luck your way into a PGA Tour win.
Quick Thoughts
Brian Campbell was in it all week at the John Deere Classic.
But with a leaderboard crowded at the top, there was no way to know who was going to emerge.
I like a guy like Homa — social presence, acts like one of us, talks like one of us, knows golf is hard. He’s an easy character to like.
So when he was in the mix near the end, I found myself rooting against Campbell. Then I find myself rooting for Grillo to force a playoff to make things interesting. Nothing against Campbell. I just didn’t know his story in full, and therefore wasn’t compelled to root for him.
Then of course, you see Campbell win, and you love it for him. Then you’re reminded of his story. The guy debuted as a PGA pro in 2015, but spent all of 2017-2024 on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Now he’s won twice this year. Brilliant. I’m thrilled for him.
Golf is different from any other sport in this way — you find yourself elated for the winner nearly every time.
There are few true foes out there on tour, and it feels safe to say that every time someone wins on tour, they earned it, deserved it. The leader after 72 holes of golf in a field of 150 professional golfers has done something incredible, and you can’t help but feel excited for them. Again, you can’t luck your way into a PGA Tour win.
A note on golf scoring
I will write some day about the scoring system and how great it is. I can’t think of a sport that does it like this. It’s so beautifully objective — sure, weather conditions, course conditions may alter the play throughout the day, but everyone is playing the same course over the span of four days, best man win. It’s perfect.
More on that later.
What Happened
Brian Campbell finished with the clubhouse lead, after a solid -4 round of golf on a day that didn’t allow for scores quite as low as the others. You’d think with a few other golfers still in the mix, Campbell would stay out on the range, hit some balls around, stay loose.
Wrong.
Campbell was signing hats, shaking hands, and taking a load off in the clubhouse.
Grillo’s birdie on seventeen evened things up with Campbell who finished just earlier at -18, so on to the playoff they went.
Grillo, still loose (physically) found the rough, struggled to find the green, and ultimately bogeyed the lone playoff hole.
Campbell, loose (mentally), finds the fairway with a beautiful drive, finds the green in two, and safely parks his ball in the cup for par after a near-miss birdie try.
He walks away with $1.5 Million — see the full points and payouts here.
It seems Campbell’s pre-playoff chill paid off. When asked about it, he said
“It’s grueling out here. We’re sweating, you know, it’s hot, and I think we just needed to take a break, get some water rather than go out there and beat balls and putt for who knows how many minutes.”
Sometimes, you just need a break. Great call, Mr. Campbell. Maybe he’s cracked the code on the pre-playoff routine.
Campbell’s Year, Final Remarks
Campbell regained his PGA Tour card last year (2024). His total earnings on the course last year reached $44,546 — not sustainable for PGA professional.
This year? $3,174,659 and sitting just inside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings.
This year has changed Campbell’s life. Winning on tour isn’t just money in your pocket, but access to future events. It’s the securing of a future on tour that every golfer strives for.
When Amanda Balionis asked Brian to give advice to his younger self, he just said you have to trust yourself.
For 7 years, despite the lackluster results proving otherwise, Brian knew he had it in him to go out there and win golf tournaments at the highest level. He could have quit, he admitted thinking about quitting, but he nevertheless persisted.
In golf, in business, in life — it seems those who resist quitting are the ones who tend to prevail.
Cheers to Brian, cheers to golf.
—Luke Mangan
Brilliant stuff. I’m thinking you cracked the code on golf content, not Brian.
You’re my new
F.Scott Fizmangan.
Good show Ole Sport.
(Sandra wasn’t sure yo would get my comment. I’m sure you have read “The Great Gatsby”).