Brandt Jobe Continues His Comeback
Journeyman Brandt Jobe can breathe a little easier this week, having made next week's U.S. Open field. Just 10 days ago, Jobe was getting ready to play his sixth consecutive week on the PGA Tour and was tired.
But getting into Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament last week was a plum he could not turn down.
The week prior at the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Dallas where he lives, Jobe shot an opening-round 67. Three successive 72s, though, left him wondering if his tank had hit empty.
Jobe entered the Memorial 74th on the money list and No. 216 in the world rankings. Considering he started the year 304th in the world, Jobe was clearly trending in the right direction.
Everything seemed to be going Jobe's way after a well-documented accident in which he sliced off the top of two fingers on his left hand and had them surgically re-attached in November 2006. It took months for Jobe to return to competitive golf, but even longer to be competitive.
On Sunday, at The Memorial, Jobe seemed to have come full circle, finishing tied for second with Matt Kuchar and just one shot behind winner Steve Stricker.
"The last three and a half years have been pretty slow," Jobe said. "But the process for me has been working. I'm getting better. I'm getting results and that's good."
Jobe had one more hurdle to climb as he tried to qualify for the U.S. Open on Monday in Columbus, Ohio. After a first-round 62 in the 36-hole qualifier, Jobe was in the driver's seat. He finished as co-medalist with Chez Reavie and will be making his first appearance in the U.S. Open since 2008, before his injury.
"I'm not getting any younger," said Jobe, 45. "But at the same time I am hitting the ball far enough and I'm doing the things I to play out here."
Stuart Hall is editor of the Golf Press Association.
