Golf has long rewarded those with patience and persistence. To merely get to this week's AdventHealth Championship, though, James Nicholas had to skip the former.
Nicholas -- who learned on Tuesday night he was an alternate for the Korn Ferry Tour tournament -- arrived moments before his tee time after a frantic journey to the Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo. To avoid a two-stroke penalty by being late for his tee time, he left his golf clubs on the airport carousel and rushed directly to the course.
Thankfully for Nicholas, the club pro had a set of clubs, shoes and a glove ready for him. Nicholas collected them, ran to the first tee box and proceeded to hit a drive as if nothing preceding it was unordinary.
Just in time ... ⏳@_james_nicholas arrives moments before his tee time after getting one of the last spots in the field @AHChampGolf1. pic.twitter.com/Nb58Kkz47s
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 19, 2022
He had to leave his bag at the airport carousel in order to make it in time.
— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 19, 2022
He is playing with the club pro's set of clubs 😳 @_james_nicholas pic.twitter.com/GQjSvlXm6W
Nicholas, a 24-year-old who won Ivy League Player of the Year honors at Yale in 2019, detailed his journey -- which included a delayed flight, a passenger's peanut allergy, traffic congestion and much more -- on Instagram and Twitter.
It’s been a wild week… pic.twitter.com/BiXKbwRc8t
— James Nicholas (@_james_nicholas) May 19, 2022
This isn't the first time Nicholas has shown poise under less than envious circumstances. In February, he shot a second round 61 a day after recording a first round 79 at the Astara Golf Championship. The 18-shot improvement, while impressive, wasn't enough for him to make the cut.
The AdventHealth Championship is set to run through Sunday, so it remains to be seen whether Nicholas' hustle paid off.
