PGA Tour winner Andrew Novak caddie Cathedral Prep graduate Jeff Hamley

Jeff Hamley sincerely sensed Andrew Novak was ready to win his first PGA Tour title after he was the RBC Heritage’s runner-up.

That South Carolina tournament concluded April 20.

Novak validated that vibe from his caddie, a 2004 Cathedral Prep graduate, one week later.

Novak, 30, comprised half the victorious pair for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He joined fellow North Carolina native Ben Griffin atop the leaderboard upon conclusion of the tour’s only two-man, alternate-shot team event.

Novak and Griffin, thanks to the latter’s successful fourth-round birdie putt on TPC Louisiana’s 17th hole, finished at 28-under par 260. They were one stroke lower than Danish twins Rasmus and Nicolai Hojgaard.

Hamley spoke with the Erie Times-News hours after Novak’s victory.

“This was seven years in the making (for us),” Hamley said. “It’s incredible with all the ups and downs Andrew and I have been through traveling all over the world.

“To finally see him raise a (PGA Tour) trophy, I can’t tell you how proud I am of him.”

The tournament also was the most significant moment in Hamley’s athletic life since 2001. That year, he was a sophomore for the Ramblers’ boys soccer team that was declared co-champions with Strath Haven for the PIAA’s Class 3A tournament.

More: Cathedral Prep graduate Jeff Hamley to caddie for new PGA Tour member Andrew Novak

With a little help from his friend

Alex Ritthamel carried Griffin’s bag throughout the Zurich Classic.

Hamley said he wasn’t familiar with Ritthamel before their rounds at the Crescent City course.

The same couldn’t be said for Novak and Griffin. Their title-winning partnership began as a friendship that dated back to their junior golf days at tournaments throughout North Carolina’s “Triangle” of Raleigh, Chapel Hill and Durham.

Novak, in an April 28 interview with the Times-News, thanked Griffin for helping he and Hamley conclude their quest to jointly hoist a PGA championship trophy.

“This was exactly what Jeff and I have been working towards for seven years now,” Novak said. “We knew we were close (to a win), but it finally came together this week with Ben’s (birdie putt).”

Novak and Hamley’s shared journey to their successful weekend in New Orleans originated on the Korn Ferry Tour. Among their former stops on the PGA’s feeder system was Peek ‘n Peak Resort’s Upper Golf Course, located just across Erie County’s eastern border in Clymer, New York.

The resort hosted Korn Ferry tournaments from 2016-19.

Notable near-miss

Hamley watched Novak and Griffin collectively claim their initial PGA titles a week after Novak found himself 8 feet away from accomplishing that feat as an individual.

That was the distance of the birdie-three putt Novak stared down on the 18th green for the RBC Heritage’s final round. He would have won the Hilton Head Island tournament had the ball nestled in the cup.

Novak’s miss, though, necessitated a playoff. A playoff against Justin Thomas.

The same Justin Thomas who won the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022.

The duo replayed the course’s signature 18th hole. Thomas prevailed when he curled in a 20-foot birdie putt to Novak’s par.

Instead of post-playoff despondency, though, Hamley found Novak upbeat.

“We actually caught up in the locker room after that loss and high-fived,” Hamley said. “Andrew had a putt to win a tournament against one of the best players in the world (Thomas). Golf doesn’t owe you anything, but Andrew tackles that challenge head on, and it’s extremely admirable how he approaches his profession with vigor and an unrelenting pursuit of success.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him now that we’ve raised the (Zurich Classic) trophy together.”

More: Cathedral Prep graduate Jeff Hamley to caddie for PGA Tour pro Andrew Novak in U.S. Open

Awards beyond bayou win

Not only did Novak claim his first PGA Tour title, but seismic perks for he and Hamley.

Novak rose to sixth place in the tour’s current playoff standings. The Tour Championship will take place Aug. 21-24 at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club.

Hamley also will loop for Novak’s probable participation in the season’s three remaining major tournaments.

Notable for Erie’s golf fans is the U.S. Open. Hamley will be close to home for that one, as it’s scheduled June 12-15 at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh.

Hamley and Novak also possess long-term job security now that Novak has full-tour status through 2027.

Any financial trickle down will further benefit Hamley, a Harrisburg resident, and his growing family. He became a father when his wife, Melanie, gave birth to their first child, Lincoln, in 2024.

“Melanie has sacrificed with me not being home every night,” Hamley said, “so I’m thankful she’s supported me and throughout this seven-year endeavor. She always believed this day would come, even when I thought maybe it wouldn’t.”

Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNcopper.