Rookie Brent Grant focused on patience amidst sensational start at Torrey

It’s been a challenging start to life on the PGA Tour for 26-year-old rookie Brent Grant thus far, but that might all be changing this week in California.

Brent Grant’s journey to life on the PGA Tour is quite remarkable. The Hawaii native earned his PGA card in dramatic fashion at last year’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship after draining a phenomenal birdie putt on the 18th.

Prior to that life-changing day in Indiana last August, Grant had spent the majority of his early days playing golf on mini-tours after turning professional on his 21st birthday. He had a brief spell on the PGA’s Canadian Tour before eventually earning his way onto the Korn Ferry Tour in early 2020.

Fast forward to today and Brent Grant could be about to add another chapter to his incredible story. Grant currently finds himself in a share for the lead at the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open after a sensational opening round 64 on Torrey Pines’ North Course on Wednesday.

Despite his fantastic start, however, the rookie is fully aware of how important it is to stay focused moving forward.

“This round of golf is not something that I would look at and say — obviously it’s a good round of golf and I may be in the lead with a couple other guys, but again, it’s just day one. You’ve got to put the past behind you and it’s the past so now we move forward,” he stated after his opening round Wednesday.

Grant’s encouraging round at this year’s Farmers comes after a difficult time at last week’s The American Express where the 26-year-old finished at the very bottom of the leaderboard in La Quinta.

“Well, finishing dead last is never a great thing, but again, I haven’t — I haven’t changed much,” he added when describing his experience last week.

It’s been a challenging season all around thus far for Brent who has missed the cut in eight of his ten starts during his rookie campaign to date. Perhaps, the tide is beginning to change for Grant this week. He isn’t looking too far ahead, however.

“I said this on Tuesday, obviously these are the best players in the world and the Korn Ferry Tour has great competition, but it’s nothing compared to what it is out here. Each shot is that much more penalizing if you hit it bad, but it’s also rewarding as well,” Grant described when talking about the adjustment to life on the PGA Tour.

“So again, I’m thankful to be out here and thankful for this good round, but so far it’s been
one hell of a grind and it’s not going to stop, it never does. So to think that I’ve made it or
that I’ve done something special doesn’t aid me in any way,” he said.

Brent is well aware of the challenges that may lie in store for him during his second round on Torrey Pines’ South Course on Thursday, especially with potential heavy winds in the forecast and Grant playing his opening round on the easier of Torrey’s two courses.

On Wednesday the North Course played well over two strokes easier than Torrey Pines’ South Course.

Thankfully for Brent Grant, he has experience playing in windy conditions.

“Well, fortunately I grew up in the wind,” Grant stated. Either way, he knows that the key to Thursday’s second round will be remaining patient. “But, you know, when the winds pick up, you’ve just got to stay patient and put the ball in the best place to make par if you need to and attack when you can,” he added.

Things can change drastically in this sport on a day-to-day basis, you can find yourself missing the majority of cuts and finishing rock-bottom of the leaderboard in any given event, but then everything can all change in a single moment.

Brent Grant will be hopeful that moment comes this week, and after his extraordinary journey so far who is to say it won’t?