Even if the Whispers are true, you need to root for PGA Golfer Pat Perez

You may have read in the sports pages in the past that “there are whispers” that a ballplayer is injured, or is known to party, or has lost a step, etc. You always wonder about the accuracy of the information. Well, I would like to share my story, and I literally heard whispers.

During a Wednesday Pro-Am event prior to a PGA Golf Event, the atmosphere is relaxed. In many cases, an entourage of up to a half dozen walks the course with a golfer. Due to a volunteer opportunity, I found myself in this entourage more than ten years ago in Scottsdale, AZ at the Fry’s Electronics Open. The PGA Golfer was Pat Perez, a former Arizona State golfer.

Now there is a lot to overhear during 18 holes of walking; I heard about a planned vacation to Mexico, a sponsorship with a local car dealership and a few other stories from Perez and his group. However, one of the comments that was literally whispered is that Perez has an enormous amount of talent, if he could only dedicate himself to the game, he would be a superstar. I have no idea who said it; no idea why it was said, if it holds any validity, but I heard it.

It made me wonder what it would be like to be part of the same scenario with golf champions like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth or Dustin Johnson. Would the conversation be hushed because of their concentration on the course? Would they spend the Wednesday writing pages of notes about the course that they could use to their advantage the next day? Would they crack a joke or two?

It also makes you wonder WHAT separates two Arizona States golf alums, Phil Michelson and Perez. Why are their golfing careers so different that everyone reading this article recognizes Mickelson, but few, if any heard of Perez prior to reading this? Is it luck? Is it a mindset? Or is it about dedication that was mentioned by someone years ago at a Pro-Am?

Granted, if you compare Perez to the average Joe Golfer, or even many on the tour, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. The career earnings for Perez is over $25 million and he has three PGA Tour victories. He has played in over 25 majors with a tie for sixth in the PGA Championship as his top finish.

As you dig more into the Perez story, his life milestones seem to fade from being like Michelson or Spieth to being just like you or me. In a Players Tribune article he write about his summers replacing divots at Torrey Pines. He mentions how he almost lost his golf scholarship due to a bad car accident. He went from winning a national championship to quitting school and working for $4.75 an hour at a golf store. He then caught a lucky break, got into a tournament and won….$500. This led to another win, another, and as they say, $25 million later, the rest is history.

As I reflect back to the whispers from his group about the lack of dedication from Perez, I no longer wonder why he is not more like Michelson or Spieth. I instead think about how amazing it was for him to start his al golf career from nothing, keep plugging away until he made the PGA Tour, and since then, keeps playing just well enough to keep his card and continue to add millions to his bank account. For that, he should be complimented, and not subject to any talk of “not living up to his potential.”

As Perez contends for the Wells Fargo Championship this weekend and for future tournaments, I will be rooting for him, and feel lucky I was able to be close enough to hear the banter of a successful PGA Tour golfer. And, I will ignore the whispers.