WAYLAND, Mich -- South Christian and Ferris State graduate Ben Cook is in the PGA championship field after his fourth place finish at the PGA professional championship and will be going as a club pro.
"I'm just kind of getting settled in trying to meet as many people as I can," Cook said, "kind of figuring what goes on and what I got to do."
Cook recently started as the Director of Instruction at Yankee Springs between Wayland and Middleville but has been trying to make it on tour, playing on the PGA Tour Latin America last year.
"I played in like nine events in eight different countries so I have a little bit of tour experience if you will," Cook laughed.
Cook still has dreams of the PGA Tour and to play in a major is a dream come true.
"It's basically unreal for starters because as a kid you grow up just dreaming of playing with all the guys on TV," Cook said. "Now it's kind of finally come full circle and I get to play with them which is crazy so, I don't think it will really hit me until probably Monday, Tuesday until I'm walking down the range and saying hi to all the guys, it's going to be wild."
Bethpage Black can be an intimidating challenge for a first-timer on the PGA Tour but Cook knows what it will take to be successful.
"Just being able to hit fairways and greens is going to be my biggest key for the week," Cook continued, "if I can do that, I'll be right in it and for me I feel like that is one of my strengths is I hit the ball really good."
Cook still has lofty goals for his trip to Farmingdale, New York.
"Of the 20 guys that made it," Cook said about the PGA Club pros in the field, "I would like to try to be the low of the 20 club pros that is the first goal and then for sure making the cut that is the second big one and then I don't see any reason why not to try to contend, any tournament I've ever gone to, I'm going to try to win."
Confidence is always a key variable heading into a tournament like the PGA Championship but Ben is feeling good thanks to last week's performance in South Carolina.
"Finishing where I did and playing that final round shooting one under and basically not having a ton of nerves that final round was amazing. I'm super blessed, it has been a really fun ride and I am excited for next week."
