As Wyatt Worthington II waited for his John Shippen Invitational trophy, he was introduced to Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders and struck up a conversation.
Worthington notably idolizes Tiger Woods, who he received a golf lesson from as a high school freshman, thanks to a partnership between the First Tee of Columbus and Woods’ foundation. He’s also fond of Sanders, who he watched juke opposing defenders on TV growing up.
Before brandishing a sheet of notes and delivering his victory speech at the Detroit Golf Club on Sunday, Worthington jotted down the most memorable phrase from his first meeting with the former Lion: “Opportunity is disguised as hard work,” a sentiment Sanders told Worthington his father often expressed.
Worthington put in the work Sunday, firing a 7-under 65, eight strokes better than his Saturday effort. The PGA club professional totaled a 6-under 138 to clinch a Rocket Mortgage Classic exemption by one stroke. He qualified for the 2016 and 2022 PGA Championships as a club pro, so next weekend will be his first PGA Tour event without that designation, and he couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity.
“There’s great gentlemen here, and 22 players that at any given moment, they can be in this spot, and they deserve their flowers as well, too; they have the game to be on the PGA Tour,” Worthington said. “And I’m very fortunate to be a part of them with me, because at the end of the day, steel sharpens steel, and if it wasn’t for these guys pushing each other every time we put a tee in the ground, it won’t get us the opportunity to get inside the ropes like this, so it’s been amazing.”
Worthington, a teacher at the Golf Depot in Gahanna, Ohio, felt he played better than his four-bogey scorecard on Saturday indicated; he stayed patient entering Round 2 on the soggy and windy Donald Ross-designed course. Worthington birdied Nos. 4 and 5 and shook off a wayward tee shot that led to a bogey on No. 6.
He rebounded to birdie Nos. 7, 8, 10 and 12 and stayed strong in the home stretch, adding birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 while strolling down the fairways with caddie Andy Gibson, one of his best friends from college.
“I kind of just told him, I was like, ‘Let’s try to capitalize on the par fives,’” Worthington said. “We didn’t do a good job with that the first day, and the main thing (is) you’re not done after 17. I was like, ‘We gotta get the ball in play and we gotta give ourselves…
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