Monday qualifiers: Farmers Insurance Open

Due to his father James’ 30-year career in the U.S. Navy, Brent Grant grew up differently than other kids running around the block. He spent most of his childhood traveling, which gave him a different perspective than most.

Excellence and preparation are the greatest assets to his game and his life, said Grant, who earned a spot in this week’s Farmers Insurance Open via a 4-under 68 in Monday’s open qualifier at Bear Creek GC in Murrieta, California.

Grant leans on that philosophy when confronted with the day-to-day struggles as a dream chaser in professional golf.

“That can’t be understated,” Grant said. “I know to never forget where I came from, and staying humble is the most important thing you can do. Especially now that I’m able to do this and make some money.”

After a three-putt bogey finish that he feared cost him a spot in the Farmers Insurance Open, a sullen Grant trudged off the 18th green at Bear Creek GC.

“It was not a fun experience bogeying 18, especially the way I did by three-putting,” Grant said.

Grant’s swing coach and occasional caddie, Tony Greco, also figured his pupil a goner.

“It was nerve-wracking watching him three-putt the 18th,” Greco said. “I knew we only needed par, but he thought we needed birdies. We ended up getting through, and it didn’t hurt us.”

The moment turned out not as maddening as feared by the aggressive-playing Grant, who starts his second full season on the Korn Ferry Tour in two weeks at the Country Club de Bogota Championship. Last year was a success for Grant, notching 12 top-25 finishes and finishing inside the top-75 on the Points List to maintain full Korn Ferry Tour membership.

He missed the cut in his first 2022 PGA TOUR start at the Sony Open in Hawaii, his third career appearance at Waialae CC. But Grant was able to find growth in a pairing with Andrew Novak and Ben Kohles, both 2021 Korn Ferry Tour graduates.

“He was pumped to get his season started playing with house money at the Sony,” Novak said. “He talked about playing in the Farmers qualifier when we were in Hawaii. Next thing you know, he qualifies for his second PGA TOUR event of the year.”

Grant, the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour driving distance leader, said he’s excited to play a TOUR event at a venue that suits his game better than Waialae. He has worked hard with Greco, the director of instruction at Bear Creek GC, to sharpen his wedge game and dial in distance control.

“We started working together in 2019,” Greco said. “He played in Q-School at Bear Creek in 2017 when he lived in Hawaii while his parents were getting shipped all over the place. One of the members at Bear Creek told Brent he could live with them, and he joined Bear Creek. He’s easy to coach and very low maintenance.”

Greco will not be on the bag this week. Instead, it will be Greco’s fellow student and up-and-coming player Braeden Koran, who is younger and more familiar with Torrey Pines. Koran played on San Diego County’s junior golf circuit and competed on Cal State San Marcos’ men’s golf team.

Like many PGA TOUR fans, Grant’s favorite golf memory is the 2008 U.S. Open held at Torrey Pines, where an injured Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole Monday playoff. Fourteen years and about 700 Mondays later, Brent Grant proved that the time for him to get a crack at Torrey Pines is now.

“I’ve never stepped foot on the grounds here,” Grant said. “It’s unbelievable and a huge blessing. I don’t know how else to put it.”

The PGA TOUR's second open qualifier of 2022 occurred Monday at Bear Creek GC in Murrieta, California, as 54 players competed for four spots in this week's Farmers Insurance Open.

Here's a quick look at this week's qualifiers ...

Jonathan Byrd (7-under 65)

Age: 43
College: Clemson
Turned pro: 2000
PGA TOUR starts: 434
Cuts made: 263

Notes: Byrd will play his fifth PGA TOUR event of the wraparound season at the Farmers Insurance Open … Is a five-time PGA TOUR winner, last coming at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2011 … Was PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year in 2002 … Won the Korn Ferry Tour Championship in 2017 to secure his full PGA TOUR card for the first time since 2014 … Finished fourth at the 2019 Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship … Was college teammates at Clemson with Lucas Glover, Charles Warren and D.J. Trahan … Was an All-American selection in three of his four years at Clemson, including first-team in 1999 … member of the 1999 Walker Cup team … Ranked No. 742 on Official World Golf Ranking.

Brent Grant (4-under 68)

Age: 25
Turned pro: 2017
PGA TOUR starts: 3
Cuts made: 0

Notes: Has only played in the Sony Open in Hawaii in three previous TOUR starts prior to qualifying for the Farmers Insurance Open … Played full season on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour; had T5 finishes at the LECOM Suncoast Classic and Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation ... Had three top-25 finishes in five starts on PGA TOUR Canada in 2019 … Ranked No. 570 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Max Sear (4-under 68)

Age: 24
College: West Virginia
Turned pro: 2019
PGA TOUR starts: 0

Notes: Will make his PGA TOUR debut at the Farmers Insurance Open … Played two events on PGA TOUR Canada in 2019 … Had three top-10 finishes on the 2021 Minor League Golf Tour … Was WVU golf’s player of the year for three consecutive seasons … Led Mountaineers with a 73.03 scoring average his junior year … Was top-ranked golfer in Ontario in the class of 2015; ranked fourth overall in Canada … sister Kelsey plays golf at Ball State.

Quotes:

On making a double bogey and still getting through a PGA TOUR Monday qualifier ...

After I made double on my second-to-last hole, I told myself to either birdie the next two or go birdie-eagle. It was so late in the round and I was so deflated after, because you know how these things go … you make one mistake and that could be your day. It almost helped me focus in a way versus if I had went into 18 at 5- or 6-under, I would’ve felt a lot more pressure.

On the biggest challenges of professional golf ...

“The biggest one has been the pandemic. It’s been tough living in Canada. When things were shut down, we didn’t have a Tour. I tried to get to the States but you couldn’t drive across the border. It took me a lot of reps to get back to where I was before the pandemic.

Jared du Toit (4-under 68)

Age: 26
College: Arizona State University
Turned pro: 2017
PGA TOUR starts: 4
Cuts made: 1 (as an amateur)

Notes: Second consecutive year that he has qualified for the Farmers Insurance Open … Has played consistently on PGA TOUR Canada since 2017, recording five finishes inside the top-10 … Played two events on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour, making one cut … was in the final pairing at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open and finished ninth … Has played 15 events on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, making seven cuts.

For all scores from Monday's open qualifier at Bear Creek GC, click here.

2021-22 PGA TOUR Monday qualifier statistics

Top-25s: Grant Hirschman (T17, Sanderson Farms Championship); Patrick Flavin (T17, Butterfield Bermuda Championship)

Best finish: Grant Hirschman (T17, Sanderson Farms Championship); Patrick Flavin (T17, Butterfield Bermuda Championship)

Most times qualified: Kyle Wilshire, 2

Last event’s qualifier results (Sony Open in Hawaii): BJ Doucett (MC), Jared Sawada (MC), Koichiro Ishika (MC), Andy Ogletree (MC)

Next qualifier: Waste Management Phoenix Open at McCormick Ranch Golf Club – Pine in Scottsdale, Arizona (February 7, 2022)