Imagine chasing a dream for years, battling setbacks, and then, finally, achieving it against all odds. That's exactly what Adam Schenk did at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, securing his first-ever PGA TOUR victory in his 243rd start! But here's the kicker: he did it all while sporting a coffee-stained sweater he'd been wearing for days!
Adam Schenk arrived in Bermuda expecting a balmy tropical getaway, packing only a single sweater. After all, who anticipates needing layers in paradise? However, the reality was far from the postcard image. High winds and a chilly ocean breeze forced Schenk to repeatedly rely on that lone sweater throughout the week – coffee stains and all.
"I'm a little embarrassed because these stains happened like on Friday," Schenk confessed. "I haven't taken it off. I know for two rounds, I bet I've played 90 percent of the holes in this jacket this week. Probably doesn't smell too good."
But hey, as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And this particular sweater now carries the sweet aroma of victory.
Schenk's journey to this moment has been a long and winding road. It's a testament to his perseverance and unwavering belief in himself. "Unbelievable," Schenk exclaimed after his win. "Was really hoping this day would come at some point in my life. Never really know if it is. That's what makes the journey so amazing, interesting, and it's a surreal moment when it finally does."
The final day at Port Royal Golf Course was anything but easy. Tee times were moved up an hour in anticipation of the fierce winds, making an already challenging course even more demanding. Schenk managed a single birdie in his first 14 holes, a testament to his steady play amidst the chaos. He bogeyed the par-4 15th but then rallied with three consecutive pars to secure the win.
This season hadn't been kind to Schenk, who had only made 11 cuts in 27 starts prior to this week. But here's where it gets controversial... Some might have written him off, questioning his ability to compete at the highest level. But Schenk proved them wrong. This victory propelled him from No. 134 to No. 67 in the FedExCup Fall standings, granting him a multi-year exemption on the TOUR.
"Two sets of six missed cuts (in a row), I knew it was bad," Schenk admitted. "I'll go through and look at my results every once in a while. I'm like, ‘Wow, that was an impressively bad stretch of golf.’ It's slightly embarrassing, but at the end of the day… I don't want to say I don't care what anybody thinks, but I have a belief in what I do and how I do things and that was, that was probably bigger than anything this week is just seeing that belief go through and how I do things. There is a method to the madness."
And what was that method? Well, for most of the week, Schenk was putting one-handed!
"I think the answer I came up with is there is no answer," Schenk joked about his unconventional putting strategy. He revealed that he practiced his one-handed putting in his hotel room, using the carpet's subtle slopes to his advantage while watching college football. However, he knew that the windy conditions on Sunday would require a slight adjustment. So, he decided to let his left hand simply "rest on top" of the grip.
His premonition proved accurate when he faced a nerve-wracking putt on the 72nd hole to seal the victory. "It was so windy on the last hole, I did the same process but my best chance to hit it is just, get up, do your process and hit it. If you're going to miss it, miss it quick, but don't sit there and think about it forever," Schenk explained. "I took one peek at the hole. It's windy, it's blowing the putter around, but… I feel like if I make a smooth stroke and then release it, don't speed up, don't slow down, just make a smooth stroke and release it, it's going to have the best chance to go it, even if it blows the putter all over God's creation.”
Spoiler alert: He sank it!
The win not only secured Schenk's place on the PGA TOUR but also prevented him from having to endure the pressure of Q-School. And this is the part most people miss... The mental relief of avoiding Q-School can be just as significant as the financial rewards and career security that come with a TOUR victory. It meant one less week away from his two sons and dog, Bunker.
"Winning's great, it's awesome, but like not having to go to Q-School is so big and having two years (exempt) and hopefully this can catapult me because like I've said, I've told a lot of people, I'm still decent at golf. I still love it, I still care about it," Schenk said. "It's just such a difference when you can get some putts to go in and have a few things go your way. The tides just turn. The tides just keep going your way in a sense. And I had a lot of things go my way this week, and I feel like good putting is such a result of that."
Schenk, who admits he's not a big drinker due to his early-rising children, planned a low-key celebration with close TOUR friends on their way back to Sea Island.
He's still leaving Bermuda with just one sweater.
But also a trophy.
What do you think about Schenk's unconventional putting style? Do you believe his mental fortitude was the key to his victory, or was it simply a matter of luck? And what about the sweater – should he retire it, or keep it as a lucky charm? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
