Hey Guys,
If you had told me at the start of this year that Golf Digest would call and want to put me on the cover, I would have thought it was just another prank from my teammates at Auburn.
Ten months later, here I am on the cover of the October/November issue.
How did this happen? Great question.
It started last winter when I challenged myself to rededicate myself to golf— to work even harder, refocus and try to dominate college golf in my final semester at Auburn.
The hard work paid off. I ended up winning six college tournaments last spring, including an individual SEC Championship and a second team NCAA Championship.
The U.S. Open was my final tournament as an amateur before turning professional. I was fortunate enough to win Low Am honors, and then, exactly 24 days later, I achieved my childhood dream in Minneapolis at the 3M Open, winning a PGA Tour event.
It was a pretty crazy seven-month stretch. But it didn’t end there. In late August, Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker called and asked if I would join the U.S. team and represent the red, white and blue. I was in shock and all I can remember saying was, “Wow, this is such an honor, I will not let you down Captain!”
Being a part of the U.S. Presidents Cup team and playing alongside some of the greatest golfers in the world was an amazing experience. I went 2-0-1 in my three matches at Medinah, including a win in my singles match against Si Woo Kim that helped our team come from behind and beat the International Team on Sunday. I will forever be grateful to have been included on this team.
Honestly, the whole thing still feels like a blur.
That’s part of what makes it so cool that Golf Digest asked me to share some of my thoughts on how I play the game. I’m hoping there’s something in there that you can take away and use in your own game.
The coolest part of the experience might have been posing for the photos at SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. SoFi is home to Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), and I’m excited to be part of the league’s new expansion team, Motor City Golf Club, alongside Brooks Koepka.
I had never stepped inside SoFi Center before the photoshoot, so it was pretty surreal to walk in for the first time and see the place where Tiger, Rory, J.T. and so many other great golfers compete on that massive simulator.
You might be wondering what’s next for me. Honestly, I’m asking myself the same question.
The last seven months have been more than I could have ever imagined. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through all of this, it’s that I don’t want to slow down. I want to keep getting better, keep challenging myself and see just how far I can take this game.
I’m excited for whatever comes next.
And, of course, I’m pretty excited to see my face on a magazine cover, too.
Thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way.
I’m just getting started.
Jackson
