Ballymena’s Chris Devlin finished the last round of the PGA Tour Qualifying School Second Stage at Hombre Golf Club in Panama City Beach in Florida with a two under par round of 69 for a share of 37th place - knowing that the opening round of 82 was a major setback to his plans of reaching the Final Stage this year.
On Saturday Devlin opened with a birdie – only to drop the shot on the second – but then recovered it on the 6th to make the turn in one under par and then followed it with another birdie on the 10th to finish in two under. Given the start earlier in the week Chris Devlin’s determination was evident in the way he finished out the four rounds – where other may have walked away.
Originally from Ballymena Devlin had squeezed one of the last places at the European Tour School Stage 1 Qualifier at The Oxfordshire in 2009 but chose not to compete at the next stage and did not travel back from the United States. It was his second attempt having failed at Stage 1 the previous season at Arcos Gardens where he finished 32nd.
That same season Chris also played in the Challenge of Ireland presented by Moyvalley where he finished in 68th place in 2008.
Some years ago Devlin switched Country Antrim for the southern United States when he won a golfing scholarship at the University of Alabama in 1996 where he studied until 2000. Within a year he turned professional and has been trying to make the breakthrough ever since whilst living full time in the USA – where he married his girlfriend Michelle in 2004.
In 2008 he lived the golfing dream when he teed up alongside Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington at the US Open in Torrey Pines becoming Northern Ireland’s only standard-bearer at the Major, following the failure of Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell to qualify for the event.
The contrast was one of the big stories at the time as Devlin was playing the American Hooters tour - the third tier of professional golf in the States and equivalent to EURO Pro Tour – was suddenly into the big time after a fourth place at the 36-hole qualifying event in Columbus, Ohio.
Amongst those Devlin saw off on the qualifying day were former Masters Champions Fred Couples, Chris DiMarco, father and son players Bill and Jay Haas, former US Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman and Kevin Stadler.
In the end Torrey Pines was not a dream, even from the start, when he holed the first in eight strokes to finish in the opening round in 83, followed by an 84 in round two. Having always had ambitions to play the main tour in America or in Europe the hope was that the 2008 US Open would be the break he needed.
But it was not to be.
Over recent years he has continued playing the NGA Hooters Professional tour - where Ballyclare's Gareth Maybin played before finishing off closer to home on the Challenge Tour in 2008. Indeed, former Masters champion Zach Johnson, former Open winner Ben Curtis and double Major winner John Daly also competed on the Hooters Tour before making it on the PGA Tour.
On a personal front Devlin has also faced some challenges as in his early years in the USA he noticed a continuous sense of fatigue knowing at time it was affecting his golf and the reason he was not playing as well as he could.
It took four years to diagnose the mystery illness which was a neuromuscular condition which could only be cured by open heart surgery and he underwent an open heart surgery in 2006.
"Some doctors said I had an allergy to Bermuda grass while another thought I had a food allergy. Obviously it was a shock when it was eventually diagnosed but ever since the operation I've been getting stronger and stronger.”
"I've always loved the game and I've always been a very hard worker - it was always going to be difficult to give up my dream."
Fact File
Date of Birth: April 17th, 1975
Attachment:
Turned Professional: 2001
Tours: Hooters Tour, Gateway Tour
