LAS VEGAS — Withdrawals happen just about every week on the PGA Tour. Sometimes a golfer will pull out on a Tuesday, giving possible alternates time to prepare.
Other times, for a variety of reasons, a WD may come the morning of the first round. Sometimes they happen just minutes before a tee time. This can make life a little more interesting for those on the precipice of a Tour start.
Take Argentina’s Tano Goya. When he played in the Fortinet Championship three weeks ago, it was his first PGA Tour start in eight years. This week, he was the first alternate in Vegas, and, well, let’s let him tell the rest of the story.
“It was weird because I had the feeling that I was going to get in somehow. Obviously yesterday I heard that Matt Kuchar was struggling with his knee, so I was like maybe I have a chance. He was playing in the afternoon, but I have to be here early.
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“I get here at like 5:30 in the morning. I didn’t hear anything, so I was like, okay, I’m going to take my time. I went to the track to have a warmup, so I was taking my time there.
“All of a sudden, my caddie called me saying like Peter Malnati was like ten minutes ago and couldn’t see him. I said, I saw him in the gym. I saw him in the track. So I was like he’s here. I’m not sure, maybe that’s wrong information or something.”
“Then all of a sudden, I was like ‘Just in case, I’m going to get ready’. So I put my clothes on, and they called me saying, you’re up in two minutes. So I didn’t have time to have breakfast, didn’t have time to put my shoes on. I hit the first tee shot with my trainers. It was funny, no practice at all or anything.”
Goya got the call at 7 a.m. local time, two minutes before he was needed on the tee box alongside Austin Cook and Zac Blair.
Goya started on the 10th hole and says he was finally able to get changed into his golf shoes on the 10th fairway. He then birdied Nos. 13, 16 and 17 to make the turn in 3 under. He bogeyed the second and birdied the ninth, his last hole of the day, to sign for a 68.
“I was confident that I was going to get in. So I did a great preparation Tuesday and Wednesday, and I felt good about my game. So I hit it pretty good today. Only one mistake that I hit it into the desert on, I think No. 2 or 3. Other than that, I played pretty consistent, pretty solid.”
A second alternate, Kevin Roy, also got in the field when Kuchar ultimately withdrew.
Good thing Roya set that alarm clock so early.