There hasn’t been much to uplift the soul in professional golf lately, so dominant have the intrigues generated by the gluttonous tendencies of the LIV era been.
But amid the rubble of a fractured but dollar-laden sport, we can still unearth storylines that remind us of the particular traits that make it such an attractive activity for many fans to follow.
It took a week for many big names to step up to tell wholesome stories, like the delivery driver who landed a life-changing check in Kenya and Mexico, a former nightclub bouncer securing his debut at the Masters.
Add to that a welcome return to the winner’s circle for Britain’s Bronte Law and another victory for potential Thai superstar Patty Tavatanakit and there’s quite a bit to celebrate.
A share of second place at the Kenya Open earned Joe Dean £170,000 to supplement his regular salary gleaned from driving a Morrisons supermarket delivery van.
The 29-year-old from Sheffield has secured playing privileges at the Q School, but so far has been unable to afford the travel costs to reap the full benefits. That changed when he finished tied for second behind Darius van Driel in Nairobi on Sunday.
Dean told BBC Radio 5 Live that the average cost of attending tournaments is “around £3,000 to £4,000 a week”.
Although “technically still under contract” with Morrisons, Dean said he has no plans to stop yet, preferring to assess the situation when the season starts to get busier around April.
“So maybe at that point, yeah, I’ll consider handing in my review,” Dean added.
“I’m pretty stuck in my own ways, so for me to go back and make a few changes here and there isn’t too unusual.”
Dean qualified for the DP World Tour last year but decided not to participate, as he is not someone who “puts it all on the line”.
“I chose to stay back and try to cope,” he said.
“I didn’t have any club sponsors at the time. There was very little that I could rely on to get there and get played.
“So I made the decision not to do it, which now seems like a good idea.”
The biblical phrase so aptly borrowed by the late Peter Alliss when Larry Mize shot Greg Norman at Augusta in 1987 – “And the meek shall inherit the earth” – comes to mind.
It was just as edifying on the PGA Tour. Jake Knapp also struggled and, after dropping out of the Korn Ferry Tour three years ago, took a job as a nightclub bouncer in his native California.
The muscular 29-year-old American did these tasks to pay his bills, but it also rewarded him with a refreshing sense of perspective.
“Being there at one o’clock in the morning every Friday and Saturday night, you realize how good you are when you’re traveling and playing golf for a living,” Knapp said during his first tour victory at the ‘Mexico Open.
“It just gave me thicker skin and allowed me to get to where I am now.”
The tournament had only four players among the top 50 in the world and only 23 among the top hundred golfers in the world rankings.
But his victory still earned him an invitation to the Masters as well as access to the tour’s vaunted $20 million flagship events.
Knapp knows who to thank for reaching such heights: his late grandfather Gordon Bowley, to whom he spoke constantly to discuss his young career. Knapp has his mentor’s initials, GSFB, tattooed on his left bicep.
“He was the guy I talked to after every round. I still text him after every round,” Knapp said through tears.
“He’s very special to me and my whole family, so I know he’s with me and watching me.”
As Knapp prepares to head to Augusta, a Masters legend is credited with helping Law get back to winning ways on the Ladies European Tour.
Ian Woosnam, who won the Green Jacket in 1991, helped the Stockport professional, who notched her first victory in two years with a brilliant closing 64 at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco.
Law played with Woosnam’s characteristic aggression to cross the finish line. “This victory seems a little surreal,” she said.
“I holed the 14th from the fairway for an eagle and at that point I thought there was a chance if I kept making birdies. That was the turning point.”
Law, a key member of the 2019 European Solheim Cup winning team, had not won since the 2022 Aramco Team Series event in London and has spoken openly about a loss of confidence on the course.
“This win represents all the hard work I put in during the offseason,” she said. “I really struggled last year and I did a lot of work with my mental coach and Ian Woosnam, who is obviously a legend of the game.
“It proves that when I work hard and believe in myself, I can always compete at the top of my game.”
Tavatanakit’s abilities have never been in doubt since his brilliant victory at the 2021 ANA Inspiration.
The major was the first LPGA title for the 24-year-old, and the aggressive manner of her success suggested she would quickly become a dominant figure in women’s soccer.
But she had to wait until she won against a strong LET field in Saudi Arabia this month to achieve her next success.
It was the first of her consecutive triumphs as she added another in Thailand. This victory on the LPGA Tour came 1,057 days after her first title.
He is a charismatic figure who plays a refreshing and energetic game. “I just had my foot on the gas,” she said after edging Switzerland’s Albon Valenzuela at 21 under par. “I’m really proud of myself. I fought really hard.”
It’s a golf brand that makes her a potentially vital global figure for women’s football. His victory was another reason to celebrate during a smile-filled Welcome to Golf weekend.
