Sport can do many powerful things. It can give an individual a sense of identity as a player or a fan. It can show the power of a united team. It can prove how hard work can result in achievement. It can provide a means of escape. It can fight discrimination, based on colour, creed or gender. It can inspire a community, a nation. It can also illustrate human resilience in its most beautiful form, as we saw with golfer Nate Lashley on Sunday night.
In 2004 Nate Lashley was a 21-year-old college golfer in the United States, playing a tournament in Oregon. His parents and girlfriend supported him that week, before flying back towards Nebraska in a small plane piloted by Nate's father, Rod. The plane never made its destination, crashing in bad weather in Wyoming, killing Rod, his wife and Nate's mother Charlene and Nate's girlfriend Leslie.
It was an unspeakable, unfathomable tragedy for a young person, any person. One could perhaps understand if Nate Lashley never picked up a golf club again.
In the intervening years, Lashley turned professional, struggled on the PGA Tour's satellite circuit and quit the game for a few months in 2012 to sell real estate. Deciding to give golf another shot, he grinded away on the mini-tours. He qualified for the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and then earned a Web.Com tour card for 2017, winning the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship to clinch his PGA Tour card, his ticket to the big league.
Last year was frustrating, as Lashley picked up a knee injury that put him on a minor medical exemption, placing him on the fringes of the PGA Tour.
It meant every tournament had something on the line if he was to stick around.
An opening 67 at the US Open was a hint of his form of late, but he failed to qualify for the next event, the Travelers Championship. He also failed at Monday qualifying to make the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, but he was third reserve.
When David Berganio Junior withdrew before Thursday, Lashley got in as the last of 156 players.
He then proceeded to shoot two rounds of 63, a 67 and a Sunday 70 to win by six shots.
Lashley's composure down the stretch in the final round was a sight to behold, the emotion building to a crescendo of poignant happiness as he greeted his sister Brooke and girlfriend Ashlie at the 18th green.
The whole crowd in Detroit knew the backstory by then, giving Lashley a tremendous reception as he won his first PGA Tour title.
This victory opens huge doors, punching a ticket to the Masters and Open at Royal Portrush for Lashley, who earned over a million dollars for the win. He now also has job security for the next two years.
Nobody on earth would begrudge this man his moment. Nate Lashley's win was in the stars and it's inspiring. It's a shining example of why we should never give up, even in our darkest moments.
Go Nate!
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