He walked out of the clubhouse with a bounce in his step and looking forward to tomorrow.
And why not? Nate Angus, the hometown boy making his debut on the Korn Ferry Tour, delivered some pretty good memories Thursday in the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper.
That front nine? We’ll get to it.
Just know that, despite a rough back nine, he was still smiling after the sun just about set over his shoulders at Highland Springs Country Club. This for a 40-year-old who was playing on a sponsor’s reception and drew a crowd of nearly 75 followers.
“I had a great time, had a great crowd,” said Angus, a 1999 Willard High School graduate. “It was just fun to see everybody come out and support me. There were a lot of guys who have played golf (walking along).”
Angus fired a 3-over par 75 and obviously, to make the cut Friday, it’ll be a chore in a tournament where the leader, Pierceson Coody, is sitting at 9-under par with a host of golfers on his heels. Check out the story on his day.
But, for Angus, call it a pretty good day under the Ozarks sun. Especially that front nine.
Twice he sank 25-foot putts on Nos. 4 and 8, and nearly had another long putt on No. 6, but that one came to a rest on the lip of the cup.
The one on No. 8 was the most impressive, Angus eagled the hole in three shots.
His drive off the tee box stayed in the fairway and came to a stop on the downward slope. He then considered a 6-iron but figured the ball would fly too far. And so he chose a 7-iron to reach the green, and stayed to the left of the pin as the ball flew over the pond.
Cheers soon erupted after the ball disappeared into the cup, and he then took a handshake from his caddie, Luke Edwards, a childhood friend who was his best man in his wedding.
“I’ve made that putt before and I knew what it was going to do,” Angus said.
He then made a great save on No. 9 and was 2-under par at that point.
Unfortunately, the momentum wouldn’t last.
Angus double-bogeyed Nos. 10, 12 and 16, plus bogeyed No. 14.
With that, you have to think that, if he at least pars those holes, many are talking about a completely different energy going into his Friday morning tee time. After all, he also parred Nos. 11 and 15 and finished the back nine with two pars.
His tee shot on 13 went out of bounds, and his tee shot on 16 bounced on the cart path.
“I just didn’t get it done,” Angus said.
Still, a 75 in a Korn Ferry Tour event was respectable for a guy who hasn’t played a lot of pro events.
“I felt good all week,” Angus said. “And being around the guys, they worked with me a lot and made me relaxed. And playing at Highland Springs, where I’ve played before, I felt comfortable.”
Like any competitor, he wants another shot at it Friday. The crowd will likely follow.
“We’ll come out here, and they’ll all be here again,” Angus said. “I’ll just try to shoot a good number and see what happens.”