PGA Tour cult hero 'bummed out' but defiant after suffering bitter blow

Harry Higgs has vowed not to be discouraged despite missing a golden opportunity to secure his PGA Tour future. The Kansas native was in the running for his first PGA Tour victory at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic on Sunday, finishing tied at the top of the leaderboard with Ryan Fox and Mackenzie Hughes.

Despite posting a three-under-par final round to reach 15-under for the tournament and make the playoff, Higgs missed out on the win when New Zealander Fox chipped in from 53 feet while Higgs and Hughes missed their putts.

Fox's victory, his first on American soil, came with a £545,000 prize and qualification for this week's PGA Championship, as well as securing his future on the PGA Tour with a two-year exemption. This could have been a career-defining moment for Higgs, who lost his tour card at the end of a disappointing 2023 season.

However, the 33-year-old bounced back impressively, winning twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in consecutive weeks 12 months ago, playing his way back to the big time.

This season has been a challenging one for Higgs though, who until Sunday's second-place finish hadn't seen himself in the top 25 on the PGA Tour. Now placed at 112th in the FedEx Cup standings, he's under pressure due to the new rules introduced this year that only allow the top 100 players to retain their PGA cards.

Although coming so close yet not taking home the prize was tough, Higgs remained very defiant. Reflecting on the tournament, he remarked: "I'm proud and bummed out. It felt like this one was mine. Hopefully, I get another chance, and I think that I will. I think that I'm on the right path, as long as I continue it.

"I've had issues getting slightly complacent when I have some success, so I would like to prove to myself that I've learned from that and continue to get in the mix.

"This was so much fun. That's, again, the reason why you do the 4:00am wake-ups, flying all around, doing all the things that we have to do just to have the chance that I just had. I really enjoyed it. I'm really looking forward to the next time that I have this chance."

Higgs admitted he could have few regrets with how the end of the tournament played out, acknowledging his competitor's extraordinary play.

"What an awesome shot Ryan hit. What an awesome three he made to drive it in the left rough and then have a chance to make birdie. It was pretty impressive on that hole," Higgs added. "I kind of did nothing wrong. I just misread the putt just a little bit. His chip was kind of on my line. It was not too hard, but it was moving pretty fast. So it made me play my putt maybe a little further right.

"I probably should have clued in that his had some speed to it. Should have played mine a little straighter. I should have hit the wedge closer than I did, 25 some odd feet.

"Yeah, I've got nothing to hang my head on here. I proved a lot to myself really today and the last couple of days, especially playing in the rain. Yeah, really looking forward to what's to come next."