Little Lumpy is going to The Show this week.
Carson Herron, whose father Tim “Lumpy” Herron won four times and made 560 career starts from 1996 through 2019, earned one of four spots into the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic at Monday qualifying in a three-for-one playoff.
The 22-year-old Herron shot a 6-under 66 early Monday at Pinnacle Country Club in Milan, Illinois. With some low scores already posted, he didn’t think it was going to be enough and drove back to the house where he was staying and killed time by fishing in the pond out back.
“Caught a bunch of bass,” the former University of New Mexico Lobo told the Albuquerque Journal.
Blake McShea of Wendell, North Carolina, and Michael Johnson of Birmingham, Alabama, matched Herron’s 66, forcing him to return to the course and battle on.
He birdied the first playoff hole but one of his competitors – he couldn’t recall which one – chipped in for birdie to extend the playoff. They both made par at the second hole but Herron sealed the deal in style, sticking his tee shot at the par-3 third hole to 2 feet.
“Everyone’s working really hard, so it’s just getting out there and continuing to push yourself to go lower and compete because it’s not always going to go your way,” Herron told the Journal. “But when it does, just cherish it and continue to learn and have fun.”
Josh Radcliff of Grapevine, Texas, shot a sizzling 9-under 63 to earn medalist honors at the qualifier and solidify his Tour debut. Korn Ferry Tour players Petr Hruby and Zack Fischer also advanced to the John Deere Classic with 64. Those who weren’t so lucky at the Monday qualifier included teen Blades Brown, veteran Nick Watney and another recent college grad, Ian Gilligan.
Herron won twice during his senior campaign at New Mexico, his dad’s alma mater too, and led the Lobos to an NCAA Championship appearance. He ranked No. 47 in the PGA Tour University rankings and turned pro with no status on a developmental tour. But this week he’s got a Thursday tee time secured at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, where his dear old dad, who earned his nickname for his husky physique, competed 11 times and recorded one top-10 finish.
“I’d always come and watch him play. He had some success there, and he really liked it,” Carson said of his dad. “It was exciting just to come play here and see if I could make it.”
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