Harry Higgs at the Visit Knoxville Open.
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First came golf.
You wouldn’t have seen this two weeks ago. Not when Harry Higgs finished T50 at the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic and stayed in the top 500 in the world.
But Higgs, a longtime fan favorite, delivered a stunning win at the Korn Ferry Tour’s AdventHealth Championship. It was amazing because it was Higgs’ first win in five years, unbelievable because it was his first top 10 on any tour in over a year and unbelievable because it took an eagle from 83 yards to book his spot in the playoff, where he won with a birdie on the hole. the first additional.
That was last week.
This week brought the Visit Knoxville Open, where Higgs opened with 64-65 to keep the good times rolling. He entered Sunday one shot off the lead but birdied five of his first six holes and played the rest of the round in par to post a 19-under 261. That number was matched by Frankie Capan III, who drove in the last to force a run. playoff game.
So Higgs went to extra holes for the second week in a row. And for the second week in a row he made a stunning eagle putt, this time from 37 feet on the second qualifying hole to secure his second straight victory.
It was the first time in Korn Ferry Tour history that a player won back-to-back weeks. More importantly for Higgs, it moves him to No. 2 on the KFT points list, all but guaranteeing him a full-time promotion to the PGA Tour next season.
“It gives me confidence, but there’s a reason why I won,” Higgs said after the game. “Taking care of my body, my mind. Obviously I stuck to the same routine as last week and it worked again this week, so that won’t change too much.”
You shouldn’t either.
Then came the speech.
Higgs admitted he had a hard time sleeping on Saturday night. He was running on what would happen if he won – and what he would do if he did. Grayson Murray’s tragic death hit him hard. His playoff eagle gave him a chance to address the crowd.
Here is what he said:
“I just have a message, so forgive me if things get a little deep,” Higgs began. “We lost, yesterday, one of us. I don’t know if you have heard these stories, but someone who has been through difficult things, someone who was open and honest about it. And I thought last night, I didn’t sleep a bit. And I can sleep well. I thought about this time and how I would miss Grayson.
“Everyone who is there, one, thank you very much for welcoming me and congratulating me and making me happy in everything. But this golf stuff and the result, it’s good, really. But it’s just—it’s just not that meaningful.
“One thing I thought about last night, especially when I was lying in bed, I was going to challenge everyone here, and I’m going to do this too, day after day, to say something nice to someone you love. And make sure you say something nice to a stranger. The world is a very difficult place. The world is tough and getting tougher. I have been blessed with wonderful parents and a great support system, and I have never, apart from some frustrations at times, had any mental battles. But God knows how many people are doing it and it is only increasing. So everyone here can make a difference. The difference. Brighten someone’s day, it can mean the world.
“Challenge – I will start. I’m sure I’ll say nice things to my loved ones, I hope I’ll be here soon. But the second part of the challenge, say something nice to strangers, I’d like to say to all the guys here: Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Knoxville, you were such warm and gracious hosts. This will mean the world to me as I think about it, but I will miss the great people I met here in Knoxville. So again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Let’s all try to put good into the world.”
Good, Harry. Challenge accepted.
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