He’s got the fascinating comeback stories. Of overcoming stuttering as a youth. Of overcoming alcoholism during his pro golf career and volunteering his story.
So it’s only easy to dream now on Timothy Madigan, who raged his way to near top of the leaderboard of the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper in Thursday’s opening round at Highland Springs Country Club.
Madigan sank birdies on the first five holes and finished with an 8-under-par 64. That was one stroke back of the morning leader, recent University of Oklahoma graduate Grant Hirschman, who is No. 131 in the tour’s points list. Madigan remains in the top three after the afternoon round. See the leaderboard here.
Great backstory
More on Hirschman in a second. Madigan, you see, missed the cut on the tour’s prior three tournaments and is No. 90 on the points list.
“Right now I feel like there’s a match underneath my behind and it really needs to get lit,” said Madigan, who fired a 29 on the par-36 front nine. “I’d really like to go into Portland (Ore.) and know I don’t need to play well in order to have a job next year, whether it be on the PGA Tour or this tour.”
Madigan thanks many for helping speech therapy sessions as a youth – at New Mexico State he worked at an after-school program and helped kids with similar speech challenges.
In recent years, Madigan has volunteered his story about overcoming alcoholism to anybody. And he cannot thank his wife enough for hanging in there in 2015 and 2016.
“(In the old days), I’d be drinking right now. That became my practice. I’d be excited about a round such as today and drink to celebrate. I’d shoot a 74 and be so mad that I’d drink until I fell asleep,” Madigan said. “Now I’m not looking to get notoriety or pats on the back, but if (his story) helps somebody, great.”
Boomer Sooner in the Show-Me State
Meanwhile, eyes will be on Hirschman, too, as he tries to make Friday’s cut. He opened this season with only conditional status on the tour, Monday-qualified into one of the first eight events and missed the cut.
“If you were to tell me at the start of the year I would be playing 15 events with conditional status, I would’ve said, ‘Alright, great,’” Hirschman said. “It’s been a little slow. I wish I could’ve played better in the middle stretch, but we’ve got three events left and all it takes is one great week.”
For full results, visit www.pricecuttercc.org.
About Shindler
Beginning his day on the back nine, Shindler hit the ground running with an eagle on the par-5 11th and a birdie on the par-4 12th. He then went on to birdie Nos. 17 and 18 to make the turn at 5-under. Shindler kept his hot streak going with birdies on Nos. 1, 2 and 3. After converting an up-and-down on No. 4, he would add a birdie at the par-4 fifth to reach 9-under on his round.
“We got off to a really good start,” Shindler said. “We hit one tight on No. 11, my second hole, for eagle. That just got the round going. Then you birdie the next and we’ve gotten the ball rolling early. We had a nice stretch there coming around the back, and then into the front. All in all, it was a good day.”
Shindler is no stranger to low scores at Highland Springs Country Club. At the 2017 Price Cutter Charity Championship, the 31-year-old opened with a 9-under 63 before finishing T16 for the week. There’s no question Shindler knows how helpful a low first round can be.
“I think it really helps establish your footing for the tournament,” Shinder said. “It’s a course where scores are low, and a lot of birdies are being made. If you’re just barely missing those opportunities, you’re going to get frustrated very easily.”
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This weekend
Don’t forget to wear blue on “Go Blue for Autism” Championship Sunday as The Arc of the Ozarks raises awareness. All families affected by autism admitted FREE! The first 100 visitors to its tent near the 18th fairway receive a special gift.
Win a Toyota Tundra
Looking for tickets? A $25 ticket for the TLC Properties Charity Sweepstakes is good for a four-day pass and gives you a chance to win a 2019 Toyota Tundra or $10,000.
Honoring Our Heroes
Returning is the Honoring Our Heroes presented by N Route Enterprises in which all retired or current military, law enforcement and first responders – and their immediate families – will be admitted free. Tickets, which also are good for the Jackson Brothers of the South Ozarks (food & beverage) tent, can be picked up at the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Honor Guards
Honor guards will march the U.S. and Missouri flags to the No. 1 tee box at 7 a.m. each day. Beginning Thursday, it’ll be the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, followed by the Springfield Police Department, the Missouri Highway Patrol and the Army National Guard. A national guardsman will man 18th hole on Sunday.
Tickets
They range from a $10 daily badge to several four-day passes with grounds access: $100 clubhouse badge (access to unrestricted areas of clubhouse), $150 Jackson Brothers of the South Ozarks Club badge (food & beverage tent), $250 skybox (skybox seating, Ozarks Club access, clubhouse), $25 TLC Properties Charity Sweepstakes ticket (1-in-8,000 chance of winning either a 2019 Toyota Tundra or $10,000). Free tickets are available Thursday through empower: abilities (formerly Southwest Center for Independent Living) at 2864 S Nettleton Ave. in Springfield and on Friday through OakStar Bank at 1020 E Battlefield Road in Springfield.