Former Gators Golfer Tyson Alexander Adds New Chapter to Family’s Storied History

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Buddy Alexander is not one of those helicopter dads who regularly calls to suggest golf-swing tips for his son or who pops into tournaments to offer late-round advice.

That’s never been Alexander’s style, not today nor in the 27 years he spent as the UF men’s golf coach.

Still, there was no way Alexander was going to miss a trip to Elkhorn, Neb., last weekend for his son and former UF golfer Tyson Alexander’s career milestone.

The 34-year-old Tyson earned his PGA TOUR card after 12 years as a professional.

“It’s been a long journey, and I’ll give him a lot of credit for perseverance,” Buddy Alexander said Thursday from Auburn, Ala., where he now calls home. “I kid him all the time about being a slow learner, but he stuck with it, and he’s got a chance to play with the best players in the world.

“He’s kind of in the deep end with no floaties now. The good news is there is a lot of treasure if you can avoid the sharks.”

Tyson Alexander finished 18th on the Korn Ferry Tour Regular-Season Eligibility Points List. He was awarded his PGA TOUR card during a ceremony at Sunday’s final round of the Pinnacle Bank Championship. It didn’t matter that he missed the cut. The top 25 players on the cumulative 23-event Kerry Ferry Tour points list earn PGA Tour cards for the next season.

Tyson played three seasons for his father’s UF team in the late 2000s, highlighted by an appearance in the 2009 U.S. Open, making the Alexanders only the second family to have three generations compete in the U.S. Open. Buddy played in the U.S. Open twice as an amateur and his father, Skip, also played in the U.S. Open.

Tyson was back on the course Thursday afternoon, playing in the first round of the Albertsons Boise (Idaho) Open. Earning his tour card finally, with his parents in attendance for the ceremony, was a special moment for Tyson after years of grinding away toward his dream.

“It’s so special,” Tyson Alexander on Sunday. “It’s something I’ve worked hard for a long time, and to have my family and friends here is one of those stop-and-smell-the-roses types of moments.”

Born in Gainesville, Tyson began to contemplate a career as a professional golfer as a teenager. He said the idea started to take shape during his time at UF truly. While his father played in various PGA…