This week's win would be a huge step forward for journeyman pro Justin Lower, who hasn't stopped trying to play professional golf for nearly 15 years.
It took Lower, who attended Division II Malone University in Ohio, 11 years to finally earn his PGA Tour card. Since doing so ahead of the 2022 season, he has made 56 cuts in 94 tournaments. He also has one career runner-up finish last week at the Worldwide Technologies Championship.
Lower currently holds the lead after 36 holes. Butterfield Bermuda Championshipthanks to the pair of 65s he carded on the first and second day. He sits at 12 under par, holding a two-stroke advantage over Robbie Shelton and Ryan Moore. The latter represented Team USA at the 2016 Ryder Cup. Many other great players are in Lower's rearview mirror. Two major champions: Francesco Molinari and Lucas Glover. However, with bad weather expected for the third round of the rowers, there is no telling what will happen.
Still, after the third round in Mexico last week, Lower, currently ranked 119th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), said how much the win meant everything to him. No doubt, the same mantra applies a week later. If he wins in Bermuda, he will be guaranteed a two-year career. It also proves all the effort he has put into his craft. Even better, he will receive invitations to Augusta National and the PGA Championship. So he couldn't help but get emotional when discussing his prospects for victory last week.
“Winning means everything. There's still work to do,” Lower said on Nov. 9, fighting back tears.
“I work really hard at this game, I work really hard. Sometimes I think I wouldn't have gotten this far. I've been through a lot in my life, but… It's just, I don't know, it's just so much fun. There's nothing sad about me crying. I just love being here. I hate change, that's a whole other subject I can rant about for like an hour. It seems like every time I do something good they make a change. Yeah, it means a lot to me. It's something. I just want to see how good I can be and prove to myself that I can actually do something in this game.”
Of course, Lower was hinting at the changes the PGA Tour plans to make ahead of the 2026 season. These changes include limiting PGA Tour membership to the top 100 players in the previous year's FedEx Cup standings, reducing field size, and allowing many journeyman pros like Rower to attend PGA Tour events. This includes eliminating much of the Monday qualifying route, which is the route used to participate.
But he won't have to worry about those changes, as a victory for the youth in Bermuda would cement their membership until 2026. This also moves him up to No. 51 in the FedEx Cup Fall Rankings, guaranteeing him a spot in the first two signature events of the 2025 season. Players who rank between 51st and 60th after next week's RSM Classic will make up the first Aon Next 10 of 2025, which will send them to Pebble Beach and Riviera.
“I'm aiming to be in the top 60,” Lower said after Friday's second round in Bermuda.
“If not, you can only get into Pebble around 70-80th place. You have to go to bigger events, higher level events. That's all I'm trying to do.”
He is also aiming for his first victory in a golf tournament.
So what does Lower like about his game at the moment?
“I like putting, it's something I'm good at. I work hard at it,” Lower added.
“The driver was kind. That's something I always struggle with. Honestly, I think I'll be fine if I hit the ball a little better, but it's a very difficult game to always be in good shape. Xander What I admire about top players like , Scotty, and JT is that they seem to be able to do it every week, and that's very impressive. Yeah, how can I do that? , I'm thinking about how I can participate in such high-minded events and move on from there.”
Perhaps Lower will one day rise to the sport's upper echelons and compete for majors with the likes of Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.
But for now, he has a tournament to win in Bermuda. He has the talent and game to get the job done, so it will all depend on the weather, the bounces he receives and whether he misses most of his putts. he needed it Only 21 putts on FridayIt's an incredible number, but it's also a testament to the strength of his flat stick. Still, if a win doesn't come Sunday, one will come soon. He is fulfilling more than expected.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
