Two local golf pros recount memories from PGA Championship

Two Southwest Florida golf pros spent the week playing with the pro golfers. Jeremy Wells, the Director of Player Development at Cypress Lake Golf Club in Fort Myers, and Evan Bowser, the First Assistant Golf Pro at LaPlaya Golf Club in North Naples, hit the links at the PGA Championship.

“I wake up in the morning dreaming about playing golf in a major championship and actually being able to go and do it is the highlight of my life,” Wells said.

Bowser called playing in the major, “a thrill of a lifetime. Greatest moment of my golf career.”

On the course at Valhalla, each of them had special moments with Wells making the cut after enduring multiple delays. Wells became the first golf pro from South Florida to make the cut at the PGA Championship in 40 years.

“In those 12-13 hours all I’m thinking about are those two holes,” Wells explained. “Some good thoughts a lot of bad thoughts. But when I two putted made par on No. 9 my 18th hole in the second round got to take a breath go up the hill hug my wife and kids.”

Both Wells and Bowser had their families in Louisville to cheer them on.

Wells recalled a moment after he already made the cut where, “I made a triple bogey and I look over in the crowd and Mason my oldest is in tears you know. And he won’t even look at me he’s so frustrated sad you know. That was a really cool moment you know to see how much he cared.”

Bowser even had his sister, Elayna, on the course with him as his caddy.

He shared what he told her once he wasn’t going to make the cut, “I said let’s just really enjoy the last two holes. And we did that thoroughly. I was able to birdie 18. And we got done and we watched a lot of the big names come trough. We didn’t leave. We got done at 3:30 and we stayed until 9:30 the whole cheering section really. We just took it all in and just hung out behind 18 green as fans at that point.”

On Friday, Bowser warmed up on the range with Scottie Scheffler, the world number one golfer, after he was arrested that morning.

“Nobody wanted to hit next to him but I was one of the last guys who got to the range,” Bowser explained. “So I had to hit next to him and there was probably a hundred people reporters right behind him talking about it. And as soon as he left everyone left. And I was kind of like I guess everyone wasn’t here to see me.”

Now back home, Wells and Bowser have a lot to be proud of.

Bowser said, “Felt like I could compete. I did beat Tiger woods so that was awesome for sure.”

“My performance was very strong for someone who works full time,” Wells said.