TCU’s Tom Hoge is one of the best players going on the PGA Tour right now
Tom Hoge never lost faith that he could win on the PGA Tour. He’s played well enough over the years to make more than $10 million in career earnings, play in major championships and maintain his playing status.
But a win eluded him in his first 202 starts. There were missed opportunities such as the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii when he led with three holes to play before a double-bogey on the 16th ended his chances. He’s had a couple of runner-up finishes since that tournament, the dreaded “close, but no cigar” moments.
Finally, though, Hoge tasted victory on golf’s top level two weeks ago. The TCU product and Fort Worth resident won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Sunday in his 203rd start on the PGA Tour, rallying with a terrific back nine for a two-shot victory over three-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
Hoge followed his first victory with an impressive showing at last week’s WM Phoenix Open, finishing tied for 14th. He’s now sitting at a career-best 38th in the official world golf rankings going into this week’s PGA Tour event at The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in California.
“It’s just cool more than anything,” Hoge told the Star-Telegram last week following his victory. “I’ve been out here a long time and have accomplished a fair amount, but you always want to get that win. For it to come at Pebble Beach is pretty cool. It’s such an incredible place and kind of the pinnacle of golf in the United States. It’s up there with St Andrews internationally.”
Hoge’s victory at the famed course has turned him into an overnight sensation. His win brought back stories of how he taught Spieth how to play craps one night. Another story that resurfaced was an old clip of Tiger Woods talking about his improbable playing partner — Hoge — for the third round of the 2015 Wyndham Championship.
Asked if he knew Hoge, a rookie on the tour at the time, Woods smiled and said: “What is it, or him? Or What? I don’t know.”
Hoge and Woods have crossed paths since then, including Hoge out-shooting Woods at Torrey Pines in the final round of the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open when the two were paired together.
“The crazy part about that (2015) clip is that was my rookie year,” Hoge said. “It doesn’t seem very long ago and it’s been eight years. So it’s been a long time in between there. That was my first time being in the mix going into the weekend. It took a lot of those times to kind of learn and get comfortable and figure out how to navigate my way around.
“I felt like the day was going to come where I felt really good on a Sunday. I just needed an opportunity and thankfully it came.”
This win has plenty of perks for Hoge, from a $1.566 million check to the boost in the FedEx Cup standings and official world golf rankings to a Masters invite in April. Hoge, a native of Fargo, North Dakota, also became just the third player from his home state to win a PGA Tour event.
“Being from North Dakota, not many guys have been on the PGA Tour, so it’s just pretty cool all the way around,” Hoge said. “And the greatest validation from it has been the congratulations from other players and caddies.”
Given how long it’s taken Hoge to find the winner’s circle, it would’ve been understandable if he took a victory lap and celebrated a lifelong achievement. But he teed it up last week in Phoenix and is back at it again this week. Hoge is expected to take next week off.
“Golf is weird where you catch these runs with the highs and lows,” Hoge said. “I’m playing really well. I like where my game is at and I want to keep going when I’m playing well. We try to fight it out so many times when you’re struggling a little bit, why not flip that around and ride a nice high? Let’s keep it going.”
Made for Pebble
Pebble Beach wasn’t a favorite stop for Hoge early in his career. For whatever reason, he struggled even though it’s a course that should have suited his style of play.
The turning point came in the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Hoge made the cut at a major championship for the first time in his career, and finished tied for 43rd. That remains his best finish in a major to date.
“At the U.S. Open, I finally got a better grasp of the golf course,” Hoge said. “It’s a course that I should play well at every time I go there.”
Hoge has done just that since the U.S. Open, making the cut in the past three AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Ams. He finished tied for 60th in 2020, 12th in 2021 and won in 2022.
Pebble became a more memorable spot for Hoge this summer, too, following a family vacation to the course with his wife Kelly, brother Charlie and father Chuck.
“Just an incredible experience for everybody,” Hoge said. “Pebble Beach is just a special place to us.”
Charlie Hoge called it one of the best trips of his life even though his sister-in-law Kelly may have had a better day on the course. But the summer trip resonated with Charlie as he watched his younger brother accomplish a lifelong dream.
“It was incredible for Tom and Kelly and the rest of our family, especially knowing how hard he’s worked,” Charlie said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him. I texted Kelly on Sunday morning that I felt like I was there with them just because we recently took that trip out there. It definitely made it a lot more special to share those memories.”
TCU days
The 32-year-old Hoge and Kelly call Fort Worth home these days. Hoge had a standout career at TCU from 2007-11, earning All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2011 and a spot on the PING All-America Honorable Mention team in 2009.
He remains an avid supporter of the Frogs, attending as many games as possible. He plans on going to the TCU-Texas Tech basketball game Feb. 26 at Schollmaier Arena, a night the school plans to recognize his latest accomplishment.
“TCU is such a tight-knit community,” Hoge said. “I just love being around campus and going to the games and sharing in that tight community that we have.”
That includes a successful golf program that has produced a number of PGA Tour players over the years. Hoge heard from all of them following his victory.
Charles Coody, the 84-year-old who won the 1971 Masters, texted congratulations. So did Pete Jordan and JJ Henry, who was the last TCU golfer to win on the PGA Tour in 2015. Henry has become a mentor to Hoge over the years and couldn’t have been happier than to see him hoist his first trophy on a course with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop.
“There were a lot of people who helped pave the way for me on tour,” Henry said. “I like to think of the PGA Tour as one big traveling fraternity. You’re friendly and cordial with 200 guys and then you have your inner circle of three, four guys where you travel together, play practice rounds, go to dinner. With Tom, we both played at TCU, both practiced out of Mira Vista, we live about 150 yards away from each other, so we just became close. If I played a small part in his success, that’s great. Mark Brooks did that for me.
“Tom’s very self motivated. He’s hard-headed in a good way that he believes in himself and he believes in his ability. You have to have that mentality. In golf, confidence breeds confidence.”
Henry knows as well as anyone what winning on the tour can do for confidence and a career. He’s won three PGA Tour events in his career as well as playing on the 2006 Ryder Cup team.
“Tom just had a lifetime accomplishment. He’s a PGA Tour member for life being a winner,” Henry said. “Regardless of what happens, he’ll always be a PGA Tour winner and part of a very elite club.”
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
