Tyler Duncan nabs first PGA Tour title, realizing childhood dream
Tyler Duncan (M’12) swung his first golf club at 6 years old.
“My grandpa built clubs at the local golf course,” says the Columbia,Indiana, native. “He would just cut off a 3-wood, an 8-iron, and a putter, and I would just ride around on the golf cart and hit some shots with my grandparents.”
In November, the 30-year-old professional golfer won his first PGA Tour title at the RSM Classic in Georgia. It was a dream come true for Duncan and his grandfather, who was on hand to watch the tournament at Sea Island Golf Club. It was also Duncan’s last chance to regain his PGA Tour card.
“If I hadn’t played well in that final event, I’d be off the PGA Tour,” Duncan says. “I went from not having any PGA Tour status to being a winner on the PGA Tour and playing in the Tournament of Champions, the Masters, the Players. It’s a huge change in career trajectory for me.”
It was a remarkable win for Duncan, whose only other victory of note was the 2011 Indiana Amateur. He’s now guaranteed a PGA Tour card through 2022. He also gained financial security with a $1.18 million prize. He and his wife plan to use some of his winnings to build a house in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Duncan’s champion trajectory began in middle school when he realized he was consistently performing near the top of his team. Around that time, his uncle, Andrew Johnson, became Duncan’s swing coach. Duncan captured the individual Indiana state championship as a junior in high school. As a student-athlete in college, Duncan experienced one of the lowest points of his career. He struggled in the first part of the season his junior year. Purdue hosted the Big Ten Championship that year, and Duncan didn’t make the cut.
“It hurt that I wasn’t able to compete in the Big Ten Championship on our home turf,” Duncan says. “Golf is such a mental stress and grind. You need confidence to play well, but if you let your ego get the best of you and your anger starts to show when you’re playing poorly, that can backfire. You have to be able to channel those emotions and use them to your advantage.”
Duncan refocused his game and finished out the season playing in regionals for the team. He drew on that same focus to win big on the PGA Tour, just in time. With the spring tournaments canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Duncan can relax and enjoy time off without stressing about his future. The PGA Tour plans to restart in June without spectators.
“I get to travel the world and play golf,” Duncan says. “That’s something that everyone dreams of doing, and I’m lucky enough to be able to do that.”
This story appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Purdue Alumnus magazine.
