Josh Schrock
February 24, 2025
As men’s professional golf continues to work hard to unify, Brian Campbell’s victory at the 2025 Mexico Open brings important information.
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Brian Campbell went through it all.
Campbell, a former star amateur in Illinois, became a professional player in 2015 and quickly earned his PGA Tour card. But golf is a fickle sport. Campbell lost his card in 2017 and returned to the Korn Ferry Tour. He handled nearly a decade of injuries while honing himself in professional players. He narrowly retained the KFT card in 2023, before eventually snatching the top 25 on the 2024 season points roster to win his ticket back to the PGA Tour.
The journey of the past decade has led to Campbell opening in Vidantaworld last weekend in 2025, where his life has changed forever along Mexico’s Pacific Coast.
The 31-year-old pro made four goals for 20-year-old rookie Aldrich Potgieter over the weekend. He closed the gap into the final round and called it a “dream scene” with a chance to win the PGA Tour. Campbell, the shortest hitter on the tour, fought all day on Sunday before finally defeating Potgieter on the second playoff hole to become the PGA Tour champion.
Campbell’s victory also got the unlikely lucky rebound of the decision hole.
The traveler blew his tee and shot with his right hand into the cross-country area. He watched his ball soar and would certainly bring his title. But Campbell is back when the golf god hits a tree on Sunday’s ball and replays. From there, Campbell hit his second 60 yards and fell up and down the champion birdie at a distance of green.
After Campbell’s impossible victory, his caddy, Caddy Cooper Wilson, conducted an emotional interview on the life-changing nature of Sunday’s victory.
Wilson told the PGA Tour, “The ball shouldn’t rebound.” “Does it. He took 3 wood from the dirt. He hit a 60-yard shot and made a result. There are two years of work to chase his own dream.
“Seeing him from being ranked 75th on the Korn Ferry Tour to keeping his card to last year – we had success last year, but we also failed. Just like last year in Bogota, we lost in the playoffs. To make everything complete, to see his talent shine, to see our relationship building really make sense.”
As men’s professional golf continues to be tortured by civil conflict, which prioritizes funding over all other issues, Campbell’s journey and storybook victory reminds people of what makes professional golf special.
The secret seasoning that the PGA tour has always been is that while celebrities win a lot of events, people like Campbell always have the chance to spend the week and change everything. Any given week, the loser will become hot, become the best in the world, and change the trajectory of his career forever.
The magic of PGA tour is its willingness to be open to stories like Campbell. While the stars drive income and pass the eye, the stage is open to anyone who can compete. The only goalkeeper is your own score.
“Walking up to the green, I told him I would play a short game on any player in the world and I knew he could finish the game. He showed it,” Wilson said. “The more things you go through with someone, the more you grow with each other. I think our business is well balanced, but friendships grow over time. Seeing his life change, let me happy.”
Campbell and Wilson went back and roasted a tree, reworking his wrong drive, making his name engrave his name in the PGA Tour history books.
The epic rebound may make headlines, but it was Campbell’s resilience and belief that brought him to this point – back from the abyss of golf. Golf is like life, it is about luck on your own and seizing opportunities when it comes.
“Believe in yourself,” Campbell said after the victory. “It’s a crazy game, we choose to play here, but keep believing in yourself and have a lot of courage there. It’s so cool to see what will happen.”
Josh Schrock
Golf.comEdit
Josh Schrock is a golf writer and journalist. com. Before joining golf, Josh was an insider of Chicago Bears in NBC Sports. He has previously reported 49 people and fighters in the NBC Sports Bay area. Josh, an Oregon native and UO alum, spent time hiking with his wife and dogs, pondering how ducks will be sad again and trying to become half-mature. For golf, Josh will never stop breaking the 90s and never lose confidence that a major drought in Rory McIlroy will end. Josh can be contacted at josh.schrock@golf.com.
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