Nate the Great

Nate the Great [View Online]( [Wire-to-Wire Logo] Nate Lashley earned his first PGA TOUR win in wire-to-wire fashion at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic. (Getty Images) Teeing Off [LASHLEY’S DETROIT DOMINANCE]( There are good stories and there are great stories. This is one of those great stories. [Nate Lashley]( has endured [unimaginable personal tragedy]( and professional struggles. In 2004, his parents, Rob and Char, and his girlfriend Leslie Hofmeister, flew to Oregon to watch Lashley compete in the 2004 NCAA Regional. Following the competition, his parents and girlfriend were killed in a plane crash on the flight to Nebraska. Golf was no longer a priority. After dealing with his grief and going through the healing process, golf reentered his life. He decided to give pro golf a shot, but after struggling to succeed, he took a job in real estate. [But he still couldn’t give up on his dream](. He fought back, played the mini-tours, then won on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017. Impressive, yes, but what happened Sunday was jaw-dropping. Lashley, 36, completed his emotional journey with a six-shot, wire-to-wire win at the inaugural Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit after taking a six-shot lead entering the final round. And oh, he was also the last man in the field. All the spoils that come with the win (a two-year exemption, 500 FedExCup points, a $1.3 million check) are certainly nice, but achieving a dream in the face of such hardship and uncertainty was likely just as satisfying. [divider] [FEEL GOOD FOWLER]( Rickie Fowler is really good on the course, but he might be even better off of it. Thanks to a letter from a loving mom and help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Fowler was able to meet Anthony Trudel. In 2017, Trudel, who’s an avid golfer, suffered a life-threatening brain tumor. While fighting that battle, he remained a huge Fowler fan, watching him in every tournament and going home early from school on Thursdays and Fridays to make sure he didn’t miss a shot (shhh, don’t tell his teachers). Ahead of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Trudel teed it up with his idol at the [Shot for Heroes](, and Fowler broke out a fresh set of clubs for him to take home. His dream week was capped off with an inside-the-ropes round on Friday as an Honorary Observer. Cue the happy tears. [divider] [TEEING UP IN THE TWIN CITIES]( For the second straight week, a TOUR event makes its debut with the [3M Open at the upgraded TPC Twin Cities](. After playing host to a PGA TOUR Champions event for 17 years, a new era begins with 11 of the top 30 in the FedExCup standings going for gold (and 500 FedExCup points) in the Gopher State. Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Jason Day headline the field while [rising stars]( Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wolff make their third straight starts since turning pro at the Travelers Championship. If they need any help making their way around the new locale, look no further than Minnesota native Tom Lehman who helped add some teeth to TPC Twin Cities. Lehman is in the field thanks to a sponsor’s exemption. Video Of The Week The Turn MIC CHECK “Winning on the PGA TOUR has always been a dream and getting that done today is a great accomplishment. And I’m just really happy,” said [Nate Lashley]( after an emotional victory on Sunday. [divider] BY THE NUMBERS 23 - Under par for [Nate Lashley](, the lowest 54-hole score since Jason Dufner in 2016 at the Desert Classic. 28 - Front-nine score for [Cameron Champ]( on Friday after recording six birdies and one eagle. 92 - Spots Nate Lashley moved up in the [FedExCup standings]( after his wire-to-wire victory in Detroit. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [TERMS & PRIVACY]( To remove yourself from all future PGA TOUR WIRE2WIRE communications please click here: [Unsubscribe]( PGA TOUR 5150 Palm Valley Rd, Ste. 300 Ponte Vedra, FL 32082 Attn: Marketing, Fan Engagement ©2019 PGA TOUR WIRE2WIRE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED