Justin Lower was concussed after the third round on Saturday.
The PGA Tour
The end is seen by many Tour pros, and not in a good way. That’s what this time of year can do to them. Their season ranking is pretty much locked in place. Their job security is highly questioned. The offseason, short as it may be, is long.
That’s what makes late fall Sundays so important. They give the ultimate presentation for money. They offer entry to the Sentry event that kicks off the season for the best players in the world. He won and entered the Masters, too. The beautiful begin to envision their future laid out in an extremely comfortable way, as long as they do well.
Enter: Justin Lower, FedEx position no. 95. World standard No. 156. Zero-time PGA Tour winner. Zero-time Korn Ferry Tour winner. Lower has been chasing wins for years but has also been chasing consistency, and when he reached his peak at the World Wide Technology Championship this week he reached 21 this year. That’s a lot!
But it’s still unclear where he wants to be with two tournaments left this season, evidenced by the emotional interview he gave on Saturday evening following the third round. Lower eagled the final hole to shoot 63 and earn time in front of the camera. At first, there was a quick breakdown in his cycle, but then something deeper came. What does winning mean to you during FedEx Cup Fall?
Lower immediately started shaking his head.
“Everything,” he said, eyes wide, his voice cracking. “I don’t know. Um.”
He took a breath or two and then settled on some thoughts about how the course played and what kind of score would be needed to get the win. Somewhere between five and nine below, he thought.
The following question is not related to scoring:
Why are you so excited about that question?
“I really don’t know,” Lower said, taking a deep breath and wiping tears from her eyes.
“I told myself that I would stop [getting emotional] in discussions, finally. Of course – I work very hard at this game. [Deep exhale.] I work really hard on it. Sometimes I think I would never have reached this level. I have been through a lot in my life. It’s just delicious. It’s not a bad thing that I’m crying [about]I don’t know. It’s fun, I love being out here.”
The PGA Tour broke down these sentiments in a social media post that you can view below, but if you’re looking for context as to why Lower thinks about his placement on the Tour, that’s hidden. At least it’s hidden on social media.
The next words that came out of his mouth were full of slight anger:
“Me hatred all the changes they’re making,” said Lower. “That’s another subject I could talk about for an hour. It seems like whenever I do something good they change. But yes, it means a lot to me. I just want to see how well I can do and prove to myself that I can do something in this game.”
On that note, Lower’s press time is done. He went to bed for part of the 54 holes and all the emotions that come with it, knowing full well that he’s not the only one feeling the pinch late in the season. (He’s not the only one who feels the pressure coming The next one season, too, given the new eligibility changes pushed forward by the Tour.) Which of them will be able to do something about it? Lower was out of the final round Sunday morning in Mexico, making four birdies in his first six holes, one shot past everyone else. It could just be his day.
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