Korn Ferry Tour’s Alex Beach got a late start on pro golf and now wonders where he can end up

The grind isn’t easy. So said Alex Beach, a self-taught golfer who competed in his third PGA Championship last summer. Beach is a member of the Korn Ferry Tour, a playing and teaching professional at Westchester Country Club, a two-time PGA national …

The grind isn’t easy. So said Alex Beach, a self-taught golfer who competed in his third PGA Championship last summer.

Beach is a member of the Korn Ferry Tour, a playing and teaching professional at Westchester Country Club, a two-time PGA national champion and assistant national champion. 

Beach has a few PGA Tour qualification exemptions for the rest of the year. He’s excited to see how his passion and dedication translates to the leaderboard.

“You’ve got to put a little road map together, a little work into it, or nothing is ever going to change,” he said on the “WHY YOU SUCK AT GOLF!” podcast.

The 31-year-old got into the professional golf world later than most pros as he was not a collegiate golfer. Beach is incredibly humble about getting his competitive start only five years ago.

“I’ve heard enough people say that I’m good, I know that I’m good, but if I really work at it where can I end up?” he asked.

He knows that he is still in the middle of this process and believes he is capable of coming out on top in his upcoming tournaments. 

“It takes so much failure in order to learn how to be successful in this game. I think it is the most rewarding game when you have a good week or when you play a good round, maybe you make your first par, whatever your next level of success is. The work that goes into it and achieving it is the greatest feeling ever,” Beach added. 

After six months off from competitive golf due to the coronavirus pandemic, Beach’s first tournament back was the prestigious 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco. 

Beach thought the PGA Tour did a great job of “policing” the event and keeping players safe and healthy.

“Part of the protocol being in San Francisco, was to eat our food at our own table [in the locker room. Every locker was six feet apart from each other with a high top table.] and it sort of felt like high school or maybe grade school where you grab your food, you walk along, you have your mask on, say ‘hi’ to your friends and then you have to go sit in your little corner,” he added with a laugh.

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Alex Beach rallies for historic Assistant PGA Professional title

Alex Beach became the first player in history to win multiple PGA of America national championships in the same calendar year.

Alex Beach has been asking himself how it gets much better than this. The wins are stacking up for the PGA Assistant Professional from Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York. On Sunday, Beach became the first player in history to win multiple PGA of America national championships in the same calendar year.

Beach came from behind to win the 43rd National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He was trailing by three shots on Sunday morning, but he rattled off three consecutive birdies on the Wanamaker Course at the start of his round to quickly take care of that.

A final-round 67 was the lowest round of the day, and enough to get Beach to 8-under 280 for the week. That was three shots better than runner-up Carlos Sainz Jr. of Houston.

“I felt very comfortable this week,” Beach said. “I committed a couple mistakes yesterday that I was frustrated with. But I knew coming back today, it’s almost an advantage to play from behind. I was confident that my experience might prevail if I could play well. Getting off to the fast start was huge.”

Assistant PGA Professional Championship: Leaderboard

A dropped shot on No. 10 was the only mistake on Beach’s card. Birdies on Nos. 13 and 16 sealed it.

Past the stroke-play victories, Beach also was a member of the victorious U.S. PGA Cup Team in September. His outlook for 2020 is bright too, considering that he has advanced to the final stage of Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School, to be played at Orange County National in Orlando, Florida next month.

“It’s hard work paying off,” said Beach. “It’s nice to represent all the Assistants out there. The work is just starting.”

Behind Sainz in second, Scott Berliner of Lake Luzerne, New York, and Timothy Wiseman of Corydon, Indiana tied for fourth at 2-under 286.

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