After father's death, ex-Classical star Patrick Welch revives golf game, with some help
EAST PROVIDENCE — How and when Patrick Welch lost his golf game never seemed coincidental.
The sudden death of his father, Marty, in September 2020 took the former Classical standout’s biggest fan and primary motivator. Welch’s form over the next 12 months or so was unlike anything we’d seen from him previously. The budding superstar throughout his teenage years and coveted Oklahoma recruit was somewhere at sea.
This week at the Northeast Amateur finds Welch back on course, both literally and figuratively. He carded a 2-under 67 as part of Thursday’s morning wave at Wannamoisett Country Club and looked comfortable throughout. His place just outside the top 10 against premier competition was both expected and validating.
“It was like a fresh start for me,” Welch said. “I’m excited to be here and really enjoying the course and the setup.”
Welch beat five players at this event last year. Five. That’s it. It was another missed cut in a summer full of them, and those disappointing results were coupled with being left out of the starting lineup at times by the Sooners in both the previous spring and following fall.
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Welch did something brave and mature to break the cycle — he asked for help. He started seeing a sports psychologist, leaned on his teammates and confided in his family — his mother, Grace, has always been among the most patient and steady people in his life. This spring season with Oklahoma saw him return to prominence and that strong form has extended into the summer months.
“I feel like everyone’s struggled at one point,” Welch said. “And I’ve struggled before. But it would be like one tournament or two tournaments, and then it would kind of go away.
“This one lasted about eight or nine months, which felt like years. It was really tough to get out of. I experimented with so many things. I tried doing so many different things.
“You just had to realize that stuff can happen. Eventually, you’ll get over it and move on.”
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Welch closed in the top 10 at the Puerto Rico Classic and won the Southern Highlands Collegiate. He notched another top-10 result as the Sooners captured the Big 12 team championship and is now a four-time Ping All-Central Region selection. His 7-under 63 on the third day of stroke play at the NCAA Championships was one of the rounds of the tournament.
“It’s exciting,” Welch said. “You play for something. You’re not just playing to play — there's always a reason. I play because I want to win and I just enjoy competing against the best.”
Welch burst onto the scene at the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship in 2014. He was the Boys 14-15 age division champion at Augusta National, a triumph that stands alongside his four Rhode Island Junior Amateur titles and a selection to the Junior Ryder Cup team in 2016. If there were to be a safe bet placed on someone to carry the state’s professional golf flag after Brad Faxon and Billy Andrade, this felt like it.
That ticket could still be cashed — Welch has his first PGA Tour chance in October. Victory at Southern Highlands earned him an exemption into the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas, an event won recently by the likes of two U.S. Open champions — Bryson DeChambeau and Webb Simpson. Welch will take a weekend away from a graduate year at Oklahoma to test himself against the world’s best.
“It’s so hard to do,” Welch said. “There are so many good golfers out there. I’m really blessed and fortunate to have that opportunity.”
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Welch and his family live in California now, making a cross-country move after Marty’s passing at the relatively young age of 56. Part of his childhood was spent in the San Francisco area and he now calls suburban Los Angeles home. One member of Welch's personal gallery will almost certainly be at the TPC Summerlin in spirit when Welch makes his long-awaited tour debut in less than four months.
“He would start crying,” Welch said. “He was a crybaby — I kind of am, too, now that I’m getting older. I’m like, ‘Dang, this is what my dad would do.’
“He’ll be with me there. I know he’s really proud.”
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ex-Classical star outside top 10 in Northeast Amateur golf tourney
