If you’ve ever played more golf on vacation than your wife was anticipating, you’ve got something in common with Seung-Yul Noh.
Noh and his wife – who have only been married for a few months – headed to Napa this week for vacation, but figured they might as well stop by the Monday qualifier for the Fortinet Championship and see if Noh could put a good round together.
Instead of winding up at a famous Napa vineyard, Noh found himself in a 6-for-2 playoff with a spot into the PGA Tour’s first event of the 2022-23 season on the line.
Five-time Tour winner Aaron Baddeley was the first man to advance through the playoff, leaving Noh battling Grayson Murray, Jim Knous, James Driscoll and Jason Allred for the final spot in this week’s field.
Noh wound up emerging from the five-man logjam, earning himself a tee time on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa Thursday.
Qualifying for a Tour event is special in its own right, but this round was particularly special for Noh, who had his wife on the bag for the first time.
Noh was clearly comfortable with his wife caddying for him, saying afterward that it was “really fun,” but that his wife was a little worried about how a vacation to Napa turned in to a golf trip.
“She was scared when I made the birdie about playing the tournament,” Noh said with a laugh, “Because she wants to play vacation, not play golf.”
It looks as if Noh will be doing some multitasking this week in Napa.