“Grip it and rip it”, “Don’t go right”, “Be the ball.”
These are normal swing thoughts golfers tell themselves when lining up over a shot. Not freshman golfer Cohen Tolio, who made his PGA debut last Thursday at The Sanderson Farmers Championship in Jackson, Mississippi.
The newly turned 19-year-old entered his first round calm and collected, and with plenty of sleep. He was not slated to tee off until later in the afternoon, when the local forecast had shown slight bouts of precipitation.
The rain held off, and Trolio made his “hello world” moment. In a round full of firsts, Trolio shot a 1-under-par, 71 to place him tied for 71st place. A majority of the field was sitting a few strokes under par, and the leader boasted a score of 8-under par.
“It has been cool so far, just hanging out with some older guys who know a little bit more than I do,” Trolio said.
Entering the second round on Friday, seven strokes off the lead, Trolio had no intentions to switch up his style of play from Thursday.
“I am going to play exactly how I played [Thursday],” Trolio said. “I keep reminding myself that I have been playing golf for a while now, and I have learned that bogeys feel like birdies. I have to keep a positive mindset.”
Trolio opened his round on Thursday bogeying the first hole. Blame it on jitters, or even on equipment malfunction. The rookie mentioned that earlier in the week he had noticed that his driver was cracked and had to replace it. However, he noted that the same club was used in two of his prior collegiate tournaments. Trolio finished even-par and tied for 19th in his first outing and 3-under-par, tied for 11th in the second respectively.
His opening hole was not the cliché opening that fairytales would have told, but his friends and family that came to join him knew he would shake off the early misfire. Trolio soaked in the experience and even-keeled with a par on the following hole.
His following on Thursday and Friday was equivalent to that of defending champion’s Sergio Garcia’s. Trolio was the hometown favorite with lots of “Mississippi love.”
On the third hole, Trolio found his stride, birdieing three consecutive holes to go 2-under par. The third hole was playing as a long 584-yard par 5. The West Point, Mississippi native drained his birdie putt from 26, feet seven inches from the hole. The length was not a problem. He carded his first Tour birdie.
Then on the par three, No.4 Trolio swaggered up on the green, after thrusting his tee shot and buried his birdie opportunity. Again on No.5, his putter would bring him success.
However, the putter was not his friend all day. On the ninth green, Trolio paced his birdie putt long of the hole and had a simple five-foot putt for par, which he misjudged the speed and settled for his second bogey.
“I have played golf long enough where I know that one hole is just one hole,” the amateur said. “Obviously there will be some thoughts running through your head, but that’s kind of why you play golf. Just got to say ‘Oh well.’”
Trolio rebounded quickly with a highlight reel chip-in on No. 10. He would proceed to par the following seven holes and then bogey the last.
Trolio has displayed in one round of professional golf that he possesses the talent to ultimately end up on Tour.
He teed off on Friday morning at 8:55 a.m. in front of an ever-growing fan base.
“Some days are just not your day.[Friday] I’m going to go out and do the same exact thing and see what happens.”
On Friday, Trolio’s PGA run concluded. He shot a 3-over, 75, recording his first missed cut on tour.
“Hey, Tiger Woods missed his first cut on Tour too,” he joked.
Sam Burns, the Shreveport native, who played two seasons for the Tigers, fired off a tournament record-low score of 22-under par, enough to hoist the Reveille Trophy on Sunday night. As an added bonus to the $1.26 million winnings, Burns will also gain exemptions to several top-talent tournaments and majors in 2022 – Sentry Tournament of Champions, The Players Championship, The Masters, PGA Championship.
“This is one of my favorite events on Tour and I always enjoy it,” Burns said after the event. “Close to home so my family and friends can come and support. Just glad to get this win in my first start of the new season, and looking forward to carrying this momentum throughout the season.”
