Emotional Maiden Pro Victory for Australian Endycott

Huntsville, Alabama, United States: Harrison Endycott is primed for a legitimate run at his first PGA Tour card following his maiden professional victory at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Huntsville Championship.

A two-time competitor in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), the 25-year-old Australian last won in 2016, when he was still an amateur.

Endycott described much of his roughly five-year professional career as ‘frustrating’ multiple times this week. But all those frustrations were put to rest at The Ledges, as Endycott closed out a five-stroke triumph with a closing even-par 70.

The Sydney native capped the final round by draining an 11-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole to finish at 16-under par.

Endycott carried a five-stroke lead into the final round, the largest 54-hole advantage on the Korn Ferry Tour since April 2019, and he turned it into the largest margin of victory in a Korn Ferry Tour event since PGA Tour rookie Cameron Young’s five-stroke win at the 2021 NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank.

“I’ve worked so hard, I’ve just had a lot of disappointments in my life,” Endycott said via the Korn Ferry Tour’s 72nd hole livestream.

“I never thought I’d win over here. There was a time where I (asked), did I ever think I was actually going to win again? It’s very special. I can’t believe I just got it done this week. I’ve been so frustrated at golf for a long time, and it finally happened.

“It’s just a long journey here, and we dealt with a lot of real hardships, our family. Sadly, I lost my mum to cancer in 2012, and sadly last week I lost my grandmother, too. The timing of this win is really special.”

Endycott built the five-stroke lead with an opening seven-under 63, tying an 18-hole tournament scoring record which held up the entire week, followed by a 67 and 64.

Endycott concluded a decorated amateur career with five individual victories in the 2016 calendar year, highlighted by a win at the prestigious Porter Cup, and a team win for Australia alongside future PGA Tour winner Cam Davis and future Korn Ferry Tour winner Curtis Luck at the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship.

On his AAC debut at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in 2016, Endycott tied for 26th, no fewer than 21 strokes behind the victorious Luck. The following year at New Zealand’s Royal Wellington, he posted a closing 66 to climb into joint 10th, as China’s Lin Yuxin claimed victory.

Shortly after, Endycott turned professional and debuted at the New South Wales Open Championship in November 2017.

Endycott’s next two seasons (2018 and 2019) were spent on PGA Tour Latinoamérica, where he ended both without much in the way of improved status, but gained incredible perspective on life as a professional golfer.

“It’s challenging off the golf course and toughens you up as a player,” said Endycott. “I learned how to manage myself away from the golf course … learning how to get away from the money. This time (in 2017), I was always looking at how much I could make, whereas (Latinoamérica) Tour taught me how to get into contention more.”

Endycott eventually moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and earned Korn Ferry Tour membership via Final Stage of the 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. As a rookie last season, Endycott logged three top-10s, including a season-high tied fourth at the 2021 Visit Knoxville Open, and six top-25s across 35 starts.

After the high point of Knoxville, Endycott bottomed out with nine missed cuts and a withdrawal in his final 10 starts of the season, leaving him 81st on the 2020-21 Regular Season Points List, six spots outside the top 75 for fully exempt status in 2022.

He tried to improve his status at Final Stage of the 2021 Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, but finished tied 80th and failed to do so.

Endycott opened this season with a joint 19th finish at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, but finished equal 32nd or worse the next five starts.

Even with a run of lacklustre form coming into the Huntsville Championship, where Endycott finished tied 13th last year, he was not frustrated with the results, but the fact he played quality golf nearly all of 2022 and had nothing to show for it.

Prior to Sunday’s win, the closest Endycott came to a professional victory was a runner-up finish at the 2018 Victorian Open, an Australian state open championship sanctioned by PGA Tour of Australasia. Endycott watched as Simon Hawkes birdied the 72nd hole and forced a play-off, which he lost.

Endycott posted a joint second on the PGA Tour of Australasia in 2019, but finished six strokes behind the champion.

“I’ve had a lot of disappointments in my life, but this is definitely not a disappointment,” Endycott said. “It’s just a really, really emotional win for me.”

Losing his mother to ovarian cancer as a 15-year-old in 2012 took a heavy toll on Endycott. For three to four years after her passing, Endycott struggled to comprehend the sudden loss. Two key figures who helped Endycott through one of the most difficult times of his life were Ben and Mark Patterson, a father-son duo who coach him and operate out of his home club in Australia, Avondale Golf Club.

“Sadly, life is just cruel. You’ve just got to embrace great moments,” Endycott said. “Hits home a little bit not being able to do it in front of my friends and family, but I’m very blessed to be able to get it done this week.”

Endycott’s win launched him from 103rd to 12th on the 2022 Regular Season Points List with 573 points through 10 of 23 events in the regular season.

“I’m trying to figure out how to eat humble pie a little bit right now,” Endycott said. “We’ve still got a golf tournament to get ready for next week.”