JOHN PETERSON’S made every golfer’s dream come true with his memorable hole-in-one on his major debut.
But his life since then has been anything but simple — with five times more work than shots on that par-three 13th.
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A champion NCAA college golfer, Peterson turned pro in 2011.
And his performances on the Korn Ferry Tour led to the Texans qualifying for the 2012 US Open.
Peterson, who turns 35 in April 2024, birdied three of the first five holes and ended up shooting an opening round of 71-over-par, then followed up with a 70 on Friday.
Not only was that enough to get him eliminated at the San Francisco Olympic Club in his first major tournament, but he tied for fourth place over the weekend.
His third round was difficult, dropping four bogeys, when he arrived at the tee box on the 13th and his life changed forever.
Peterson took the 7-iron out of his bag for the 180-yard hole.
And he watched as his sweet swing sent the ball hurtling toward the green, darting in front before rolling toward the pin and disappearing into the cup.
Unsurprisingly, the magical moment sparked wild scenes as Peterson celebrated with his caddy as well as his partner and mentor David Toms.
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Peterson said: “I was in the second to last group. Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk played very well in the last group.
“I made a hole-in-one on 13. I lose my mind, I go crazy, I throw my club in the air.
“What I remember after I went crazy and started walking was someone ran out of the crowd and under the rope and it was my dad.
“I told security everything was fine so I got to celebrate with my dad, it was amazing.”
The epic shot took him back to +3 – and that was the score he finished at the end of Sunday, as the then 23-year-old finished T4, just two strokes behind champion Webb Simpson.
Ahead of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst, Peterson shared video of his favorite scene – racking up more than a million views on X – and gave insight into what has happened in the 12 years since.
The Fort Worth native wrote, “12 years, 30 pounds, 4 kids, a wife and 5 jobs later, it still doesn’t feel like I’ve made it. Welcome to the best week in golf, happy week @usopengolf.”
Peterson’s impressive US Open earned him a spot in the 2013 Masters and US Open – finishing 60th and T67, respectively – and he scored his solo pro victory at the Coco-Cola Walmart Open on the Adams Tour.
He initially retired from the PGA Tour in October 2018 – but returned professionally just six months later after seeing Woods and Patrick Catlay at the Masters.
But with £1.72 million in professional golf earnings, he wasn’t prepared to stop working.
According to your LinkedIn profile, during this time away from the game, Peterson invested in Remarkable Health, worked in ticket sales at his former college, Louisiana State University, and was a partner in Almost Brother, a household liability company.
The golfer – who returned to playing professionally in June 2022 – was also executive account manager at GT Manufacturing from November 2018 to November 2023.
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Talking about Forte Podcast in 2018, Peterson said, “I’ve been a passive investor in a few things over the last three or four years, mostly through golf relationships.
“I had access to the most important people in the field at all times, these CEOs only feel uncomfortable on the golf course – I played Pro-Ams with some very influential people.
“One of the companies runs behavioral health software.
“My brother-in-law and I recently invested in an oil field drill company and I will be moving into a sales role.
“We sell the bit that goes into the ground for US$5,000 to US$90,000 per bit. For each hole, you need four or five of them. Some of these contracts cost $250,000 for a hole.”
Peterson also spent nearly three years as co-host of the Fore The People Podcast.
And he still has three jobs going.
His role as managing partner at real estate brokerage firm Double Eagle Realty and his ownership of RePete Farm and Ranch, however, appear to require fewer hours than his hands-on work as owner of a garage business.
Westoplex Garage launched in 2023 with the business offering a range of maintenance, transformations and installation services.
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The company’s website says: “Peterson, a former PGA Tour player had a simple garage problem and was frustrated by the very different quotes and seemingly dishonest prices from the companies who showed up to quote the work.
“This sparked the desire to form Westoplex Garage in the fall of 2023. At Westoplex, we aim to be the most transparent, honest and reputable garage service company in North Texas.”
Away from work, Peterson is certainly very busy as well.
He is married to his wife Amanda and the couple have four children – two boys and two girls.
And as if he had time on his hands, Peterson is also a qualified pilot.
The former golf star obtained his instrument rating – allowing him to fly solo – in February 2023 and is now seeking his commercial license.
He added on The Fort pod, when the couple were expecting their second child: “I love being a dad, it’s been really good with the career change being around my son and my wife every day.
“I spend all day with them every day. That’s a big reason I stopped playing professional golf. I loved the competition, I hated the travel and time away from home.
“I see my grandfather every Wednesday for dinner, when I was on tour I saw him once a quarter.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
