Earning a PGA Tour card for the first time is the ultimate goal for any tour pro, which is what Bo Hoag did after winning the Korn Ferry Tour’s WinCo Foods Portland Open last week. The 31-year-old’s big leap up was made even better when Jack Nicklaus called him to congratulate him on his career-defining achievement.
Hoag, a Columbus, Ohio native, went to Ohio State like Nicklaus, the Buckeye State legend, and Jack has been a mentor of sorts to him in the early stages of his pro career. And thanks to the Korn Ferry Tour’s Instagram, we were able to check out Jack’s call to Hoag:
Very cool move by Jack to call Hoag to offer his encouragement. Jack has served as a mentor for a lot of the young guys on tour, but it’s clear he and Hoag have a connection based on their Ohio roots.
For Hoag, who spent four years on the Mackenzie Tour before earning status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2018, had a consistent year on the Korn Ferry Tour—making the cut in 18 of 21 events, but he hadn’t had a top-10 yet. And he entered the WinCo Foods Portland Open at No. 31, right outside the top-25 standings, necessary to secure a PGA Tour card.
Hoag did just that before the start of this week’s Korn Ferry Tour finals at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship at the course Hoag played all throughout college, the Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet course.
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