[PHOTO: Scott Halleran]
Every once in a while it’s funny to see the difference in skill level between tour pros and top club guys when the latter decides to try to Monday qualify for an event. But this can go the opposite way as well.
Last weekend we saw such a case with a former PGA Tour pro entering a member-guest event – those famous and almost mythical get-togethers that so bind American golf clubs together – and going on an amazing birdie binge. Well, an amazing birdie binge for his opponents. This was probably old hat for a guy who once played in a Presidents Cup.
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OK, we’ve dragged out the suspense over who it is long enough – unless you can identify the guy in the photo above. It’s Brendon de Jonge, who made $US11.5 million during his career on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. And we know this thanks to Yip Strickler, the self-proclaimed “Independent journalist investigating handicaps and tournaments at prestigious private golfing clubs.” Have a look:
Former @PGATOUR player Brendon de Jonge was part of the top flight winning team at this weekend’s MEMBA GUEST at TPC Piper Glen. Brendon was playing as a +1.9 handicap index and made 17 birdies during his five 9-hole matches. #golf #yip #journalism (Source: Golf Genius App) pic.twitter.com/He0hGDOwCD
— Yip Strickler (@YipStrickler) September 20, 2025
As you can see, De Jonge was part of the winning team (shocker) while playing to a plus-1.9 handicap. And on the one hand, that doesn’t seem like enough for someone who was once part of the International team in the Presidents Cup. Now a golf analyst, the 45-year-old made 17 (!) birdies in a 45-hole span. Decent! It’s also funny that this happens to be his most recent tweet.
What is the big deal with ex-pro golfers getting their amateur status back. Why are people so up in arms? Surely the career path for many has changed at some point!
— Brendon de Jonge (@BrendonDeJonge) September 17, 2025
On the other hand, it also looks like he made a bunch of bogeys. Anyway, Strickler wasn’t making any judgements, so we won’t either. But scroll through the comments and you’ll see that most people think De Jonge is a bit of a sandbagger.
Anyway, as the people playing in the TPC Piper Glen member-guest tournament learned last weekend, De Jonge can still cook. Nice playing, Brendon. You can take the guy out of the PGA Tour, but you can’t take the PGA Tour out of the guy.
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