They never said pursuing your passion would be easy, and in the world of professional sports, it can be downright brutal. World #2 and 2017 PGA Champion – Justin Thomas – knows this better than most, which is why he chose to offer fellow pro and 27-year-old mini-tour legend – Michael Visacki – a chance to fight another day.
Many of you will be familiar with Visacki’s name after he made a 20-footer during the playoff at a Monday qualifier, earning his first career PGA Tour start at the Valspar Championship (his reaction also went viral). The young talent played at the Colonial Country Club on a sponsor’s exemption, missing the cut after 36-holes, meaning he wouldn’t be treated to a payout at the Charles Schwab Challenge – and leaving his PGA Tour future was “lingering in uncertainty.”
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As noted by Golf Digest, while there are plenty of avenues for Visacki to make his way back to the top ranks – “that is the beauty of the sport’s meritocracy” – mini-tour life is rather costly. It requires a considerable amount to compete and pays very a little. To make ends meet, Visacki has reportedly taken jobs working in cart barns and pro shops to keep the wheels in motion.
So what exactly did Thomas do? According to Rick Gehman of RickRunGood.com and First Cut Podcast fame, he wrote Visacki a cheque – the total value yet to be disclosed if ever… not that it really matters – allowing Big Mike Visacki to continue pursuing a career. Naturally, this was something received in extremely positive fashion by fans, players, and pundits alike.
Witness the heartwarming gesture from Justin Thomas to Michael Visacki below.
Now read a jaw-dropping breakdown of John Daly’s diet and why it would have certainly killed a lesser man here.
