Marcus Byrd earns two PGA Tour begins in matter of per week with exemption, APGA win
Get aware of the title Marcus Byrd, golf followers. You’ll see lots of him over the subsequent month.
Final week Byrd was introduced because the 2023 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption for the PGA Tour’s upcoming Genesis Invitational, Feb. 16-19 at Riviera Nation Membership, and he celebrated by profitable the APGA Farmers Insurance coverage Invitational on Sunday at Torrey Pines.
Byrd was the first-round chief after he opened with a 1-over 73 after which cruised to a five-shot win after a 3-over 75 within the last spherical. A former star for Center Tennessee State and 2019 Convention USA Golfer of the 12 months, Byrd completed atop the standings for the APGA’s Farmers Insurance coverage Fall Sequence again in November and now has three APGA Tour wins.
“The situations at the moment have been extraordinarily troublesome, however that’s actually what we wish as gamers,” mentioned Byrd. “We need to be examined and measure ourselves towards one of the best. To have the ability to birdie the ultimate two holes and win this occasion is extraordinarily gratifying and an effective way to start out my season.”
Byrd’s victory on Sunday got here with a $30,000 prize in addition to an exemption to the PGA Tour’s Honda Traditional, which might be held Feb. 23-26 at PGA Nationwide in Palm Seaside Gardens, Florida. The Genesis Invitational and Honda Traditional might be Byrd’s second and third profession begins on the PGA Tour, respectively, after he debuted on the 2022 Corales Puntacana Championship.
“A aim of mine is simply to be a sponge. I’m going to be round one of the best gamers on the earth so I need to be taught as a lot as I can, decide their brains, see how I can hold enhancing, benefit from these alternatives,” Byrd mentioned. “I really feel like I’ve the sport to be there. Most significantly, I simply must be taught. Numerous these guys, they’ve been on the market for years. I’m going to reap the benefits of these two alternatives and be taught as a lot as I can. And hopefully, the sport is in a great place to the place I can play nicely and carry out nicely these weeks.”
The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit group with the mission to carry better range to the sport of golf. The Tour expects to carry 18 tournaments in 2023 with near $1 million in prize cash.