Twenty-five-year-old Muzzy Donohue absolutely tore up the 3M Open with an 8-under 63 in his PGA Tour debut, but the St. Paul native wasn’t just playing for himself. He was playing for his late grandmother, Marcey, who sadly passed away on Monday, just days before his breakthrough week. This isn’t your average PGA Tour story, folks; this is pure emotion.
More Than a Score: Playing For Marcey
Donohue got into the 3M Open on a sponsor exemption, a sweet reward after he dominated the Minnesota Open earlier this month, winning by six shots. But what should have been a dream week started with heartbreak. His grandmother, Marcey, passed on Monday. Muzzy’s carrying her memory on a custom ball marker, rubbing it whenever he feels himself losing focus. He described it as his “grounding piece” and said he’s felt her presence out there, competing in front of the biggest crowds he’s ever seen. “The most fans I’ve had watching are maybe 50 at the State Open a few weeks ago,” he said. Muzzy’s convinced, “My grandma was definitely with me today. She’s looking down on me and looking out for me.”
That belief probably helped him bounce back huge. Donohue had a rough start on Thursday, carding a 73 with a pair of double bogeys on his second nine. He even almost put two tee shots into the water on the par-4 second hole. But a pep talk Wednesday night from two-time PGA Tour winner Steven Fisk, who Muzzy plays with back home in Sea Island, Georgia, apparently worked wonders. Fisk told him straight up, “I belong here and that they’re all just normal guys out here.” That advice totally calmed Muzzy, who admitted he was feeling pretty intimidated seeing all those big names he watches on TV.
From Hockey Net to Birdie Barrage
Friday was a whole different vibe. Teeing off on No. 10, Donohue found his groove immediately, sinking six birdies on that opening nine, including an insane four straight at Nos. 15-18. After getting through that tricky par-4 second hole this time, he added more birdies at Nos. 3, 4, and 8. You can feel his excitement when he said, “I’m not used to hearing some roars for the birdie putts dropping, so that’s super fun for me.” His only stumble? The par-4 ninth, his last hole, where he chunked a 7-iron and missed a three-foot putt for bogey. He even joked he “woke up from my blackout” after that one. But hey, it was still an incredible round.
This dude’s journey is wild. Donohue grew up playing both golf and hockey, and he was even a goalie for St. Thomas Academy, leading them to a 24-3-1 season before losing in the 2019 state semifinals. He went to college for golf at Boston College and Santa Clara, turned pro two summers ago, but has been grinding hard on mini-tours and Q-Schools, including PGA Tour Americas Q-School in March. Now, he’s sitting at 6 under heading into the weekend, eight shots behind Michael Kim’s lead, but only two strokes outside the top 10.
He’s playing this weekend at the 3M Open, sitting two shots outside the top 10. Can he keep this incredible run going? You bet we’ll be watching every swing, knowing Marcey’s with him.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply