Car accident slows former Georgia All-American Lee McCoy's pro aspirations
Lee McCoy
(NCAA.com Photo)
(November 8, 2016) -- Former Georgia All-American
Lee McCoy has suffered a set back in his professional golf career. While heading to the Plantation Reserve Golf Club for this weeks second stage of Web.com Tour Q-School McCoy was involved in a minor car accident and suffered a fractured wrist in two spots.
The injury won't require surgery but it will sideline McCoy for 6-to-8 weeks and end his Web.com Tour Q-School bid for 2016.
“The sad part is you put in so much work for one thing,” McCoy told Ryan Lavner of Golf Channel, “so it’s disappointing to see it all end that way. There’s going to be a lot of people who are disappointed after this week, but it’s an easier pill to swallow playing bad golf instead of not even teeing it up.”
McCoy, a star as an amateur made worldwide headlines in mid-March when he finished tied for fourth at the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship. The finish by McCoy was the best finish for an amateur in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event since Justin Rose in the 1998 Open Championship.
Despite the impressive showing in March the beginning of McCoy's professional career has not gone smoothly and he missed his first eight cuts as he split time between the PGA and European circuits. With that said when the accident happened McCoy was just hours removed from his first professional paycheck following a tie for 41st at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
During his decorated amateur career McCoy played on the 2015 Walker Cup team and also earned medalist honors at the 2014 U.S. Amateur. McCoy picked up impressive wins during his final year at Georgia with victories at the SEC Championship and Linger Longer Invitational. He finished his collegiate career by tying for sixth at the NCAA Championships.
Initially after sustaining the injury doctors tried to fit McCoy with a cast to allow him to grip the club but the attempt was unsuccessful.
“There was just no way,” said McCoy. “I wasn’t going to go out there and risk hurting it further. Plus, the odds of me playing competitively with a cast and one hand were slim anyway.”
With no Web.com status for next season McCoy will have to compete in Monday qualifiers and hope for sponsor exemptions. When their seasons begin in the spring McCoy can also play on the Canadian Mackenzie Tour or the Latinoamerica Tour.
“It won’t be a career-altering type of thing,” McCoy predicted. “I’ll make it work somehow.”
-The Golf Channel contributed to this story