Emotional Champ Seals "Greatest Moment" Of His Career
The American won his second PGA Tour title with his grandfather watching on from his hospice
The American won his second PGA Tour title with his grandfather watching on from his hospice
Emotional Champ Seals "Greatest Moment" Of His Career
Cameron Champ said his Safeway Open win "was just kind of meant to be" as he won his second PGA Tour title with his ill grandfather watching on from his hospice.
The American was tied with Adam Hadwin with one to play and hit a 370 yard drive down the 18th before a tap-in birdie to win.
It was his second victory on the PGA Tour after last year's Sanderson Farms Championship and the win sees him qualify for his first Masters in April.
The tears began to flood after the winning putt, with Champ saying that it will go down as the "greatest moment" of his career, no matter what he goes on to achieve in the game.
“No matter what,” he said, “even if I never win another tournament again or I win however many, this will definitely be the greatest moment of my golfing career.”
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Watch: The emotional winning moment
Champ embraced his father with the the pair talking to Mack 'Pops' Champ on the phone.
His grandfather Mack was the one that got him into the game and was a scratch player himself.
“For this to happen before these last days that we’re going to have with my father here, it’s the man upstairs. It’s amazing," Champ's father Jeff said.
Watch: Mack Champ talks to the PGA Tour about Cameron after his maiden PGA Tour title last year
Mack 'Pops' Champ is currently in a hospice in Sacramento, the family's hometown, just an hour away from Napa where Cameron won at the Silverado Resort.
Mack has only been able to eat ice lollies for the past three weeks but was able to watch every shot of his grandson's victory.
“For him to be able to see me make that putt on 18 on the 72nd hole to win,” Cameron said, “like I said, that will go down as the greatest moment ever in my golfing career.
"This one's for you, Pops."
Related: Cameron Champ What's in the bag?
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: Titleist TSi2
Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1
Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
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