After a 40-foot, playoff-winning eagle, Doc Redman’s emotions flowed

Doc Redman was looking away. His Sunday at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Visit Knoxville Open did not go according to plan. Redman caught and passed 54-hole leader Cooper Dossey, but Hunter Eichhorn fired a career-low, 10-under 61 to tie him and send the tournament into a playoff.

A win would give Redman two on the KFT season and put him in a good position to regain his PGA Tour card after a dip in his game that saw him lose his senior circuit rights after the 2023 season. But golf hasn’t been easy for the former Clemson standout lately. So, when he rolled his 40-foot eagle attempt on Sunday’s first qualifying hole, he quickly looked away and started walking away, believing he had missed. But the ball kept rolling and landed on the lip.

It hung there for a few seconds, the crowd begging it to come down. Then golf gave Doc Redman something back.

That playoff-winning eagle moved Redman into second place on the Korn Ferry Tour’s season points list. The top 20 at the end of the year receive PGA Tour cards for the 2027 season.

Golf hasn’t been kind to Doc Redman lately.

After missing the 2023 RSM Classic, Redman, a former college star at Clemson, came down to the Korn Ferry Tour and struggled. In KFT, the courses are easy, and the scores are low. You have to be able to hit the gas pedal to win. In 2024, Redman needed to win the Korn Ferry Tour Finals to return to the PGA Tour. He led with four holes to play but made a double bogey on 15 and a bogey on 17 to miss the playoff by one. After giving him an early blessing for years, golf hit Doc Redman recently. Last spring, he took some time off from the game to be with his family and think about his future. He loved golf and wanted to pursue his dream, but he knew he couldn’t find success without enjoying the grind.

On Sunday in Knoxville, with the trophy in hand, Doc Redman was emotional as he talked about that break and the vision he got when he left his wife and newborn son.

“I wasn’t happy playing golf,” Redman said. “I think the hardest thing about golf is, especially out here, everybody is so nice, and if you’re not enjoying it, you’re not going to get the best out of your game. Then there’s almost no reason to be here other than just spinning your wheels. And we just had my son, and I think I was just struggling with all the sacrifices I needed to make to figure out why I wasn’t there. So I finally realized that, but it took a while.

“It’s always tough and it’s going to be tough if you’re not there. And golf doesn’t always go your way,” Redman said later. “I think it’s easy to lose your confidence, your self-esteem and your dignity.” So I think I did the best job that whatever happened today wasn’t going to change my opinion of myself or the way I play and that made a big difference.”

Redman FaceTimed his wife and son after the win, tears welling up in his eyes. Tears of joy and dedication – the amount of belief it takes to stick to your dreams even when they seem far away.

“They are my biggest fans and I love them so much. I miss them, but we will see them soon,” said a sad Redman.

Redman reflected on the time off he took and how his wife’s support helped him adjust and move on. Professional golf is grueling for everyone involved, and Redman is able to continue to climb because of the support he has around him – which has not allowed him to bow out.

“Maybe it’s clear that I don’t have many other qualifications and that’s what I excel at,” said Redman when asked if he thinks about other things when he’s not working. “So it’s a
it’s a blessing to be able to pursue what you’re best at and get paid to do it and that’s great. You sacrifice a lot and so do I, and it’s not easy, but being able to do this is really good.”

What Redman found during his golf break was the realization that success, especially in golf, is not linear. It is a constant ebb and flow. Often, players don’t reach peak value until later. Redman pointed to Brooks Koepka, who rose through the ranks on the European Tour before landing on the PGA Tour and becoming one of the greatest champions of his generation.

Success in golf comes from persistence — coming back time and time again, even when you don’t want to. Water breaks rock not because of its strength but because of its consistency.

“I think that would be a good thing for me to reflect on and think about it a lot and just give myself things to hold on to,” said Redman. “I think I try to remind myself all the time of all the great players who play late and don’t find success until they’re in their mid-30s, you know, especially at the PGA Tour level. I think that’s the beauty of golf is there’s no rush, you just have to stick with it.”

Doc Redman never gave up, and now, after an unexpected 40-foot eagle at Knoxville, he can finally see his return to the PGA Tour on the horizon.