‘I’ve come to grips with I’ll be OK’: Popular pro opens up … on the end

Do you still love this?

And for two minutes on Friday. Harry Higgs talked. 

It’s been that kind of season for the popular pro. And that kind of career. He’s mostly struggled this year while dividing his time between the PGA Tour (three cuts made in 11 events) and the circuit below it, the Korn Ferry Tour (five cuts made in 11 events). And he’ll likely finish his 12th year as a playing pro without a PGA Tour victory. 

Then again, he’ll complete a dozen years. Along the way, he’s cashed $5.7 million in PGA Tour checks. He’s played in major championships. Competed in ’em, too; this year, he was tied for seventh after two rounds at the U.S. Open. 

He’s been a pro golfer, and many golfers would give you far more than their pitching wedge for that job. 

But you have to do more than play, of course. Higgs’ scores this year have left him in a funky spot. He’s ranked 184th in the PGA Tour’s season-long points race, which awards full status to the top 100, and on the Korn Ferry, he’s ranked 141st, and the top 60 receive full cards. He’ll likely play somewhere. And play well. 

Or not. It’s a grind. His wife is at home. A newborn boy is there, too. 

So Friday, tireless PGA Tour communications staffer Kevin Prise asked Higgs a five-word question. Higgs had just shot a seven-under 65 to reach the weekend at the Korn Ferry’s AdventHealth Championship. 

And for two minutes on Friday, Higgs talked. The video of it is below. Below that are some thoughts. 

“Yeah, I love the pursuit,” Higgs started. “And I’m focusing much too much — which is not how you should say that — but much too much on the result of everything. And that’s just the way the business is, right? The better the results are, the less you’ve — the more self-belief, the less doubt, you’re usually happier. I’m trying to come up with ways to not worry about the result and just worry about the pursuit. 

“This year has been a lot of enjoying it more Monday through Wednesday instead of the Thursday through Sunday because I’m just not being super nice to myself. And just getting down — it wasn’t even that bad of shot or I really wasn’t that far off. Or I wasn’t really ready, which is something I can control. That pisses me off.”

Loving the pursuit can be a challenge; Scottie Scheffler’s press conference a year ago at the Open Championship dealt with that. But results, or lack thereof, can make it all feel exhausting.  

Higgs continued. 

“But I do love it,” he said. “I wouldn’t say that I’m — I don’t think I’m nearing the end. But I think I’m coming to grips with like, yeah, this is, golf is cool — and it is really cool, being able to do this, and the every day, almost every hour, pursuit of trying to get better at this thing is a lot of fun. I need to kick the results, who cares, which is impossible to do completely and totally, and enjoy the competition a little bit more. That’s definitely going to kind of be the goal as I finish this year out, which is going to be a stressful finish. You know, how do I set up, what’s going to be next year, all this stuff. 

“But yeah, if I finish playing in the next handful of years or who knows, I’ve come to grips with I’ll be OK, too. I’ve got a great family, and I’m enjoying being here and playing that dad role and cleaning up after everybody and trying to do my part. But if it’s not golf, I’ll figure it out, but I’m certainly looking forward to making this conversation a blip on the radar and going from there.”

What’s going to be next year? Higgs appears to have options. Good ones.

He continued.  

“And I really do think I can achieve some pretty great things in the game still,” he said. “I just got to keep that belief for the five hours as we walk around. And when it gets hard. You know, when I’m not feeling my best or swinging my best or whatever. 

“Keep that belief and go from there.”

Higgs plays his final round at the AdventHealth Championship on Sunday.  

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