Dawson Armstrong celebrates his PGA Tour Americas win in Wichita, Kansas last Sunday
photo by PGA Tour
When Dawson Armstrong made the decision to become a professional golfer in 2018, he did so with big dreams of how his career would unfold. The three-time ASUN Golfer of the Year at Lipscomb University envisioned that he would quickly climb the ladder to the PGA Tour where he would remain for many years.
But reality oftentimes has a way of getting in the way of dreams, prompting them to be redirected or even relinquished, which is where Armstrong found himself recently now eight years deep into his professional journey.
Armstrong and his wife, Sam, became parents for the first time last winter, and the arrival of their child triggered a shift in priorities. Suddenly, providing a loving home environment to nurture and raise their daughter took precedence over his golf career.
The couple has relied upon the stability from Sam’s job to allow Dawson to continue to chase his dream where paychecks are earned weekly and never guaranteed. However, seeing his wife flourish in her new role as a mother prompted him to have a frank conversation with her in early June.
“I truly believe that the thing she loves to do more than anything in life is being a mother,” Armstrong said. “I want to do whatever I can to support her in that, just as much as she wants to support me with golf. So, we had a conversation about a month ago about my role as a new father to find a way to provide for them so that she can come home and be with our daughter.
“It wasn’t her idea at all, and she didn’t want to have that conversation because she’s always supported my dream. But I told her that just as much as she’s supported me, it was now time for me to support her dreams.”
The couple agreed that Sam would stop working at the end of December, and that Dawson would walk away from professional golf full-time and seek a more predictable career path if he had not regained full playing privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour by the time the calendar flips to 2027.
The 30-year-old Spring Hill resident enjoyed periods of early success highlighted by his first professional win in 2019 at the Windsor Championship while playing on the PGA Tour Canada. That was followed by 126 starts over six years on the Korn Ferry Tour where he garnered five Top 10 finishes including a runner-up placement in 2021 after losing in a three-way playoff.
Armstrong entered this year with limited status on the Korn Ferry Tour after finishing 151st last year. Hopeful of making a good showing during the finals of PGA Tour Q-School last December, he battled an inopportune sickness during the tournament that essentially relegated him to the PGA Tour Americas this season where supporting a family can be challenging.
“If I didn’t have a job on January 1st that could sustain my wife not working and a growing family, then I wasn’t going to do that job anymore,” Armstrong said. “Being on the Americas Tour is nothing more than a than a necessary evil to get back on the Korn Ferry Tour. That was the framework of what it looked like for us going into the next new year.”
Given his new self-imposed ultimatum, Armstrong headed to Wichita, Kans. last week for the next PGA Tour Americas stop, a place where he has enjoyed some past success. After opening with rounds of 63 and 66, he battled his way last Sunday to land in a three-way playoff.
After Maryville’s Harry Lord was eliminated on the fourth playoff hole with a bogey, Armstrong continued the duel against Corey Pereira. When Pereira’s tee shot on the sixth extra hole veered out of bounds, Armstrong closed the victory with a birdie after hitting his approach to three feet.
“I’ll take a victory any way it comes, but seeing his tee ball going out kind of took a little bit of the air out of the situation,” Armstrong said. “But it didn’t take away from how sweet it was making that walk up to the green knowing all of the things that I had been through.”
In claiming his second career win, Armstrong earned $40,500. More importantly, the outcome vaulted him to sixth on the tour points list as the top 10 players at the end of the season are guaranteed Korn Ferry membership for 2027.
“I did not expect it to be six years between wins, especially with both of them coming on the Americas Tour,” Armstrong said. “I was expecting it to be six wins on the PGA Tour by now. Even though this was a very important win and it’s great to have, it does not really change anything right now. The goal for me was not to get a win. The goal is to get back on the Korn Ferry Tour.”
With seven tournaments remaining on the Canadian portion of the schedule followed by the final stop in the Dominican Republic in October, Armstrong is at peace regardless of how the rest of the season unfolds.
“I’m treating this like it’s my senior year of college,” Armstrong said. “Just because you’re a senior doesn’t mean you’re done playing golf. If I feel like I’m good enough to continue playing and it’s viable for my family, then I’ll keep going. If that’s not the case, then it’s time to stop and do something else.”
Armstrong has not given up his dreams. It is simply a case that his dreams now surround caring for his wife and their seven-month-old daughter. We should all be rooting for Armstrong over the next few months. He represents a refreshing contrast to the constant news cycle of professional athletes who continue to disappoint us.
No matter what happens in his golfing career from this point forward, Armstrong is a winner. He has chosen to focus on building a legacy that will long outlive him.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
Paul Payne
photo by Michael Tomshack