Livescore
PALM BEACH GARDENS — For the first time in almost a decade, Justin Hicks will be playing a home game in the PGA Tour event at PGA National Resort.
A lot has changed since Hicks last played in 2016 – least of which the tournament is now called the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches instead of the Honda Classic.
A lot more had changed in Hicks’ life, too. The Wellington resident’s five-year stint on the PGA Tour ended at the end of 2016. He and wife Kathryn had a son, Owen, and he gradually stopped playing golf for a living.
At 50, he’s a player without a tour, qualifying for this week’s Cognizant Classic by being named Player of the Year in the South Florida PGA Section in 2024. After earning almost $4 million as a touring golfer, Hicks makes a living a lesson at a time, by teaching golf at Stonebridge Country Club in Boca Raton.
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Hicks has no illusions of conquering the Champion Course and moving into contention next weekend.
Not as a part-time golfer.
“I’m working six days a week and playing maybe twice a month,” Hicks said. “That’s not going to work against these guys. My goal is to shoot under par every round and see where that takes me.”
If he’s hoping to show his son Owen, as well as family, friends and a host of Stonebridge members who will be supporting him at Cognizant that he once played the sport at the highest level, he could always show them a replay of the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Tiger Woods’ 2008 US Open win different memory for Justin Hicks
You remember that one … where Tiger Woods won his 14th major basically on one leg.
Hicks remembers that week differently – as the first-round co-leader (with Kevin Streelman at 3-under), despite qualifying for just his second major championship.
It’s a Forrest Gump kind of memory – he was in the background of history – that still gives Hicks goosebumps.
“It was such a popular event in golf history, with Tiger playing hurt and all the drama of beating Rocco (Mediate) in the Monday playoff,” Hicks said. “That was the actual first press conference I did after that round. I was definitely not used to that.”
But he’s gotten used to the attention from that week. Even 10 years after.
“Every year, I’ll have people come up and remind me of it,” Hicks said. “My son has seen a couple of shots I hit in that first round. People will still come up to me and say, ‘Wow, that was you up there?’ ”
Alas, Hicks wasn’t up there long. He shot rounds of 80-75-78 to finish T74 and earn $14,306, no disappointment for a player without tour status.
“I would have loved for the final three rounds to have gone differently,” Hicks said, “but any time you play in a tournament, once you realize you’re not going to win, you’re trying to learn from the experience. I learned I could play with those guys.”
The memories of that week helped him gain his PGA Tour card in 2009, where he remained for six of the next seven years. Hicks’ PGA Tour record mirrors his 2008 U.S. Open – a couple highlights mixed in with a lot of “learning experiences.” In 114 PGA Tour starts, the Michigan native had a pair of top-five finishes, and they occurred in consecutive weeks.
He finished third in the 2014 RBC Canadian Open, and second in the following week’s Barracuda Championship to help him qualify for his only FedExCup Playoff. He made $2.905 million on the PGA Tour and $1 million more on the Korn Ferry Tour.
When it was time to stop playing professional golf, Hicks made a clean break. He thought about teaching the sport, but it wasn’t until three years ago, when he was playing in a Southeast Chapter event alongside Stonebridge Director of Sports Jeff Hall that the idea came to fruition.
“I was interested in expanding our teaching program because I had recently been promoted from director of golf,” Hall said. “I asked Justin if he was interested, and he said yes. It was a perfect fit.”
Because Hicks was approaching 50, they had the obvious talk about the Champions Tour option. Stonebridge thus made Hicks an independent contractor, which allowed him the opportunity to someday pursue a return to tournament golf.
This was no wait-until-you’re-50 job for Hicks. He poured himself into the teaching profession by attending seminars, talking to mentors such as Matt Messer of Bear Lakes, Hall and PGA member Steve Haggerty to learn the intricacies of teaching perhaps the most difficult sport. He also entered the PGA of America’s educational program.
“I told Justin I admired the fact that he got his teaching certificate the hard way, by going through the entire program as a PGA member,” said Geoff Lofstead, South Florida PGA Section’s executive director. “As a touring pro, it would have been easy for him to come off and just go teach. He never complained. He just said, ‘What do I need to do?’ ”
Like he did as a late-bloomer in golf, Hicks put his head down and learned how to become the best teacher he could be. He has the same passion for teaching golf as he did for playing it.
“Justin was a great player, and he wants to be a great teacher,” Hall said. “Our members have really gotten behind him. His teaching book is filled up.”
Says Hicks: “Teaching is more rewarding than I ever imagined. I just gave a bunker lesson to one of our members, and the look she had on her face when she started hitting good shots was priceless.”
But the PGA Tour Champions beckons. He didn’t make it through first-stage of Q-School last fall, but said he will be much more prepared this year. There are other ways to get on the 50-and-older circuit.
“It’s an easy decision,” Hicks said of playing the PGA Tour Champions. “But can I find a way to earn my way out there? I think there may be a better chance to play your way on the tour through Monday qualifying. Hopefully I can get some invites to events like the one in Boca Raton (James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational) and maybe in Michigan.”
He showed he still has plenty of game by finishing second in last month’s PGA Senior Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club to earn a spot in the Senior Player Professional Championship. A top finish there would earn him a trip to next year’s Senior PGA Championship.
“I’m in a great spot in life,” Hicks said. “I’d love to play out there, even though I’ve enjoyed spending time with my family and playing the Section events. It would be great to get back on tour and see how my game stacks up against guys I’ve been playing against my whole life.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Wellington’s Justin Hicks back at Cognizant Classic for first time since 2016
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