Charlie Reiter, an 18-year old playing an exemption on the PGA Tour, impressed Jon Rahm so much with his clubhead velocity that he said he was expecting the lanky teen would hit it past him.
Rahm was then the third ranked golfer in the world. He played with Reiter in Bighorn Golf Club, Palm Desert, California. “He reminds of Brandon Hagy, another TrackMan wonder and Cal product. They’re both of similar build.
Reiter’s average distance off the tee was 348.5 yards during the second round at the CareerBuilder Challenge 2018 (now known as the American Express). He smashed two of the longest drives in the first 54 holes of the event. On a windy PGA West Stadium Course, he averaged a distance of 332.5 yards in the third round.
Reiter began consistently hitting the ball over 300 yards in his freshman year at high school. He was only 14 years old. The prodigy began his golf career in childhood. Mike, his father, who was a professional golfer and played on mini-tours used to place plastic clubs in Charlie’s crib. Reiter’s first tournament was won at age 4.
Trophies started to accumulate. Reiter competed at PGA West in the Golf Channel Amateur Tour National Championship when he was 10.
Reiter can now play professional golf for the remainder of the year.
Reiter turned professional last fall, after spending the summer playing in the U.S. Open. Amateur rallied to beat a U.S. qualifying tournament for the PGA Tour Canada after being four shots behind at the beginning of the day. A final round of 3-under-par 69 was achieved at Soboba Springs Golf Club, San Jacinto in California. Reiter will now be fully exempt from the Canada Tour, which begins in June.
Reiter, who has now been granted full status on the Canada circuit, said: “Now I’ve got a full summer schedule.” “I already know what my summer will look like.”
Reiter, who finished with a score of 15-under 283 and a 64 in the third, edged Kyle Karazissis, from La Quinta, California by one shot. Karazissis is a mini tour golfer and also a caddie at The Quarry, La Quinta. He will be exempt from the PGA Tour Canada’s first five events as a result of the first reshuffle in exemptions.
Reiter won the tournament after a swing of two shots on Friday’s final hole. Reiter’s victory was based on a two-shot swing at the final hole Friday. Karazissis had to lay up after a poor drive, but Reiter reached the green with only two shots. Reiter made a two-putt for his birdie from 20 feet. Karazissis, however, three-putted his putts from 35 feet.
Reiter won the qualifier after firing rounds of 70 and 70 and 64 and 69. Karazissis shot a final-round 74.
Reiter began his final round with three birdies in a straight line on the fourth hole, the fifth hole, and the sixth. He then followed this with three bogeys starting at the eighth.
The comeback began with a par on the 13th, and continued with a par 2 on the 16th. Reiter completed the comeback by birdieing the 18th hole.
Reiter always planned to qualify for the PGA Tour Canada in 2023, after he missed the signup dates for the Korn Ferry Tour last fall. He also struggled with the money since he was an amateur.
“I didn’t think about (Korn-Ferry qualifying) so quickly. Reiter explained that he was “just so confused with the U.S. Am” and other stuff. “I kind of forgot it.”
He has been playing in the Asher Tour this year, a mini-tour based mostly in California. This is his preparation for PGA Tour Canada qualification.
Reiter, PGA Tour Canada’s qualifying manager, said: “This is the second little way.”
Reiter’s 2022 season included a win in the California State Amateur. He has played in professional events before, as he participated in The American Express on the PGA Tour three times, including while he was a high school senior in Palm Desert.
The PGA Tour Canada has a 10 event schedule that begins with the Royal Beach Victoria Open, which will be held in Victoria, British Columbia from June 15-18. The Fortinet Cup Championship will conclude the tour’s year in September. The Order of Merit winners from the tour will be eligible to join the PGA Tour’s Korn Ferry Tour, a developmental tour.
Reiter continued, “There are also other opportunities.” “I will be playing the Reno Open in Reno in May, and if I win, you can play the Barracuda (Championship of the PGA Tour) in July. You never know.”
Reiter would be able to compete in other PGA Tour events if he won the Barracuda Championship.
Reiter stated that he would likely receive conditional status if he could play three or four consecutive events.
The 23-year old, who lives in San Diego currently, still has his sights set on the PGA Tour. His summer schedule will include U.S. Open qualification, which he completed last summer and allowed him to qualify for his first U.S. Open in June.
Reiter stated that the summer would be busy.
Brentley Romine, a former staffer of Reiter’s, provided some reporting for this article. )
By: Larry Bohannan
Title: Remember Charlie Reiter? The teen Jon Rahm once said 'can easily get it past me' is finally playing on a pro golf tour
Sourced From: golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/04/17/charlie-reiter-pga-tour-canada/
Published Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2023 14:38:59 +0000
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