Derek Hitchner hopes to make top 10 in CRMC Championship
MINNEAPOLIS — Minneapolis's Derek Hitchner has played well this season — but good isn't good enough.
"Given how good the competition is you can't really afford to have a round that's lackluster," said Hitchner after his first round at the CRMC Championship in Brainerd. "I've had a few too many of those and a little bit of inconsistency. Still in a position to maybe make a run at top 10."
The top 10 players on PGA Tour Americas make it to the Korn Ferry Tour, which is a step away from the PGA Tour. Hitchner made hay in the Latin American leg of the PGA Tour Americas schedule and sits 37th in the standings.
"Traveling to those countries and navigating the language barrier and dealing with some of the transportation systems which weren't always the easiest," said Hitchner. "It was eye-opening for sure."
Hitchner won a team NCAA national championship at Pepperdine and holds the state tournament scoring record in Minnesota. He was an individual champion while playing for Blake High School in 2016.
"Minnesota high school golf is fun because it's such a condensed season in the spring," said Hitchner. There's so much anticipation leading up to April or whenever the snow melts and then it's a full-on sprint."
Hitchner's current tour is a sprint, too. There are hundreds of pros, all with the same dream, and few opportunities to claim it.
"It's challenging. I feel like you're constantly in a state where you have to perform. It feels like it's really challenging to hit the reset button and maybe work a little bit more thoroughly on some technique," said Hitchner. "That dream is in front of us and it's attainable. You just have to work really hard for it."