Matt Every is the everyman golfer (couldn't resist the pun). He's not one of the stars of the PGA Tour and the average golf fan has likely never even heard of him. But on Thursday, he showed up to the golf course ready to play. In fact, he showed up ready to dominate the Wyndham Championship. Afterward, he revealed the emotions that drove him to take the lead in the golf tournament -- an accomplishment in and of itself for the veteran.
Leading the Wyndham Championship
Every knew it was going to be good after he managed to eagle the first hole, a Par 4.
After a par, he birdied the next three holes to get to five-under for the day. He recorded another birdie on the seventh hole, a Par 3, and went into the back nine at six-under. Suddenly, the Wyndham Championship became more than a run-of-the-mill PGA Tournament -- it became a sensation to see if Every would be able to record a 59 in his first round.
He took his best aim at it, recording three more birdies in the back nine while carding no bogeys for the entire day. Alas, he was only able to finish with a measly 61. The day of play isn't over yet and there are others approaching, but that score was good enough for Every to take a two-shot lead into the clubhouse. For him, that made the Wyndham Championship a cathartic experience, even if there are still three days and countless expected pitfalls left in the tournament.
Every emotional after first round
Immediately after the conclusion of the round, Every practically broke down with emotion, processing the road that it took for him to get back to the top of his game. He discussed the yips that caused him to fail to make the cut in 18 straight tournaments over the past two years. He mentioned that a lot of people in his position would've quit at this point.
But he also talked about how much fun he has been having lately on the course, which was evident during his round at the Wyndham Championship.
The 33-year old has been through a lot during his professional career. He was suspended for 90 days in 2010 for marijuana possession, a charge he denied. Despite being on the tour for over a decade, he's only won two tournaments (the Arnold Palmer Invitational both times).
He has only finished in the top 50 of a major once, and it was at the U.S. Open in 2005. Perhaps the Wyndham Championship will be an opportunity for Every to turn his career around and get it back on the right track -- it already feels that way after one day.
