ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – When Michael Thorbjornsen first arrived at Stanford, Patrick Rodgers was just a legendary name on the walls to chase.
Rodgers is widely considered one of the five or so best amateur players of the last two decades. He won 11 times in three years with the Cardinal, tying marks set by Tiger Woods and Maverick McNealy, while capturing every major award in 2014 and ascending to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.
Thorbjornsen, now 24 and nine years younger than Rodgers, did an alright job following in Rodgers’ footsteps. He, too, was a world No. 1, though he won just three times in college. Rodgers played in two Walker Cups; Thorbjornsen was denied his Walker Cup start because of a serious back injury that sidelined him for the back half of 2023. Rodgers, however, can’t claim a U.S. Junior (Thorbjornsen was the 2018 champion) or a Western Amateur, which Thorbjornsen won in 2021.
A couple years into school, Thorbjornsen finally connected with Rodgers, who has since taken the talented youngster under his wing. Through phone calls, lunches and practice rounds, Rodgers has been a valuable resource.
“It’s nice to have someone that kind of went through the same thing as myself, just a little older,” said Thorbjornsen, who was grouped with Rodgers for the first time Saturday at Sea Island, where the two Stanford products posted matching 68s to climb to 17 under, where they are T-2, two shots behind leader Sami Valimaki.
There is one designation of Rodgers’ that Thorbjornsen, in just his second year as a pro, would prefer not to emulate: Prior to this week’s RSM Classic, Rodgers has logged 311 career PGA Tour starts without winning, most among active players by 50 starts.
Rodgers, a 33-year-old husband and father of two, doesn’t need to be reminded. In fact, one of his two playoff losses came right here at the RSM in 2018, when he fell to Charles Howell III on the second extra hole.
“At the time, I felt like it had been a really long time on Tour and a really long time that I hadn’t won,” Rodgers recalled of what was his 117th career start.
“I felt very ready for my opportunity there. It’s just unfortunately in this game, you can’t control the outcomes. I really try hard to control the outcomes, but it doesn’t work. Yeah, I need to be the best version of myself that I can be, look to build a really quality golf game and trust that that’s going to give me the most opportunities throughout the season.”
Rodgers has been remarkably solid, having never lost his PGA Tour card since earning special temporary membership right out of college in 2014 and then first securing his card via the Korn Ferry Tour the following year. He’s never been the best iron player on Tour, but his No. 117 rank in strokes gained approach this season is his best standing in years. At No. 63 in the FedExCup, he doesn’t need to win this week to move into Next 10 territory and secure spots in the first two signature events of next season. And though lifting the trophy Sunday at Sea Island, where last year McNealy broke through, would obviously lift a massive monkey off his back, Rodgers contends that he doesn’t need to win period. He’d love to, sure, but he’s long matured past that kind of urgency.
“Everyone’s on their own journey,” Rodgers said. “For me, a lot of my sort of understanding at this point of my career has been through failure and through trial and error, kind of learned a lot of lessons the hard way. But I feel really at peace with who I am as a player. I don’t feel like my life as a PGA Tour player hinges on me winning tomorrow, and I think that’s a powerful place to play from.”
Rodgers imparted that wisdom onto Thorbjornsen during their four and a half hours together on Saturday. Thorbjornsen was taking notes.
“He played great today,” Thorbjornsen said. “I mean, whether he wins or I win, it doesn’t really matter; we have more tournaments to play next year.”