We’ll have to get research to confirm, but this could be a first for a PGA Tour player: Successfully defend his title the week prior to his own wedding coming off a two-plus-month break from golf.
That’s what Brian Campbell is attempting to pull off this week in Vidanta Vallarta, Mexico, where he won in February 2025.
Fast forward 20 months, the tournament is part of the Tour’s fall season and the first of two stops south of the border. Oh right, and Campbell has successfully proposed and is now getting married to Kelsi McKee — his then-girlfriend who leaped into his arms on the 18th green after the career breakthrough victory.
“Focusing on getting married,” Campbell told reporters when asked what he’s been up to since his last start at the Wyndham Championship in early August. “Going to have to make it home and make sure we keep a happy wife.
“But she’s here this week and we’re looking forward to just enjoying this week just like we did last year.”
In addition to the wedding planning, an injury has limited Campbell’s time on the course.
He revealed after missing the cut at the Wyndham he had a procedure to remove a cyst from his shoulder after dealing with some neck pain.
“That was a huge thing I had been dealing with for the last couple years,” Campbell admitted at his pretournament presser. “Mix that with lots of time off — sometimes you just need to get away from it. I like to say unlearn bad habits and relearn good habits and that was kind of what I was doing. And getting wedding stuff ready.”
Campbell’s decision to get the procedure came after multiple conversations with physical therapists who said the cyst would continue to cause irritation in the neck and shoulder areas if not treated.
“They said if you have the time you might as well get rid of it. But it wasn’t something that was necessary, but I felt like I had the time [in the] offseason, let’s just get it done,” he explained.
The 33-year-old Campbell edged Aldrich Potgieter in a playoff to reach the winner’s circle for the first time in Mexico. He followed that up with another playoff win — this time over Emiliano Grillo at the John Deere Classic in July 2025
This year has been much more challenging. He enters the Mexico Open sitting No. 176 in the FedExCup fall standings after just one top-25 finish.
“Definitely a struggle,” he said assessing the year. “It was kind of like still dealing with injury stuff I’d say and trying to find physical therapists working with different swing stuff.”
For now, Campbell’s trying to keep his focus on the 36 — and hopefully 72 — holes ahead of him and not the steps to his first dance routine.
“One week, yeah,” he said about the wedding. “The highlights have just been I think putting together invitations and reaching out to everyone that’s going to attend. I’m just looking forward to celebrating a big party with people that I care about.”
