Stan Badz/getty imageS
10 golfdigest.com | june 2019
Living life away from the tophas its advantages.The Golf Life Mr. X
Undercover Tour Pro
Who’s happiest? Skip
the top 10 in the world
doesn’t make him stand out.
To reach No. 1 in the world and
still fly under the radar—to
me, that’s living. But if Brooksy
does wish he were getting asked
for autographs in public, then
clearly he’s not content.
Camilo Villegas is another
golfer you’ll see cruising around
Jupiter, sometimes on his road
bike. He’s got four PGA Tour
wins and an unbelievable house
on the water. Being the best pro
from Colombia is a distinction
that’s translated well into vari-
ous sponsorship deals, and my
sense is that he’s saved a lot of
it. Despite everything he’s got
going, he’s a guy with a keen
sense for being slighted. I think
he’s disappointed he doesn’t
have a major. He wants más.
Going a couple more pegs
lower in status, Steve Marino
might be one of the most sat-
isfied tour pros I know. He’s
got a lifestyle that suits his
personality. The guy has won
over $10 million in his career,
and that goes a long way when
you’ve got no wife, no kids and
pretty much no bills. When he’s
home, he just chills without a
care in the world, orders Chow
Cab food-delivery service three
times a day. It’s possible it both-
ers him a teeny bit that he’s nev-
er won (he’s finished second five
times), but Marino’s just happy
to be playing G. He’s not worried
about getting full playing privi-
leges back. “Oh, yeah, bro, I’ll
just play Web,” he told me with a
big grin last time I saw him.
I love my life. Every week
I visit a different golf course
that’s in the best condition it’ll
be all year. I’ve got a beautiful
wife and two awesome kids,
though the responsibility can be
a stressor. I’m not exactly sure
where the line falls, but I believe
there’s a point where anonymity
becomes more valuable than
money. I’m not there yet.
—with Max adlerMe? I’m the kind of player
who only gets interviewed
when I shoot 65, which suits
me fine. It’s fun talking to the
writers a handful of times a
year. I’m sponsored by the same
clothing company as one of the
prominent young guns, but I
have one-tenth the appoint-
ments. One time I saw him
getting dragged off on a hot day
to do who knows what. I just
winked at him as I headed into
the clubhouse to watch basket-
ball with the boys.
A buddy of mine was out to
dinner last spring with Brooks
Koepka and Dustin Johnson
in Jupiter, Fla. This was when
Brooks was injured. A group of
people approached their table to
ask DJ for his autograph. They
were oblivious that the guy sit-
ting next to him was the defend-
ing U.S. Open champion. Now,
Brooks has made comments
about not getting the respect
his playing record warrants and
all that, but I’m not sure how
much he really cares deep down
now. His life is pretty sweet.
He’s deposited three first-place
major-championship checks,
has a supermodel girlfriend,
and provided he’s wearing street
clothes, he can go get a cup of
coffee without anyone knowing
who he is. He’s a good looking
guy, but in a universal way thatho has the best life on the PGA Tour
is a highly personal and subjective
question. It depends on your values,your ambitions, what’s going to give you the
most happiness during your short time on
Earth. That said, it ain’t anybody in the top
10 in the World Ranking, or probably even the
top 20. Those guys live under a microscope.
Seems like Rory McIlroy has to do media every
time he shows up to the course. Rickie Fowler
makes nice bank from all those sponsors,
but it’s a rare day when he doesn’t have a
photo shoot or some other type of obligation.
And, of course, Tiger Woods can’t walk 50 feet
to a port-a-john without getting hounded.