Golfer Ryan McCormick overcomes 'kick between the legs,' untimely COVID to finally secure PGA Tour card

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Ryan McCormick knew what he wanted to do from Day 1.

From being one of the best high school golfers in New Jersey to helping St. John’s University win its first Big East Championship since 1989 during the 2014 season, and then making a huge impact on the Korn Ferry Tour, the goal was simple: Become a PGA Tour member.

That's way easier said than done, which McCormick learned over the last three years. The journey to getting the card and solidifying himself as a top-level pro was tougher than driving from Central New Jersey to Seaside Heights in the middle of the summer. But it was the detours and the obstacles in his path that made the moment last month that much sweeter.

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Ryan McCormick shows off his PGA Tour card after the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship, presented by United Leasing and Finance, at Victoria National Golf Club on October 8, 2023, in Newburgh, Indiana. (Andrew Wevers/PGA Tour via Getty Images)

"Kind of surreal," he told Fox News Digital in a recent interview when reflecting on making the PGA Tour. "It’s been overwhelming to just sit back and think about the journey the last month or so. Gosh, I’ve traveled around the whole world to try to do this thing. I’ve been to Asia, I’ve been to Canada, I’ve been to Latin America, played on almost every major tour in the world you can play on."

"To get it done this year was really satisfying after coming close. Really, the last two years being so close … It’s satisfying for all the people that have helped me for so long, for the people that have been coaching me, just gratifying. Just awesome to be able to