ALUMNI
Alumnus Hits the PGA Fairway BY RICH TORTORELLI
Tyrone Van Aswegen may be finding his comfort level as a PGA golfer. Van Aswegen has shown up at the top of the leaderboard on PGA TOUR events and earned more than $1.5 million in three years on the world’s top professional golf circuit. Since turning professional and working his way through the Sunshine and the Web.com tours, Van Aswegen has applied the same work ethic that made him a national champion golfer at Oklahoma City University. He arrived in the United States from Johannesburg, South Africa, as a freshman. “It’s a big adjustment,” OCU coach Kyle Blaser said. “He had a family back home that was supportive. His game wasn’t ripping and roaring from the start. It was a tough transition.” His homesickness started to vanish as he found confidence in his golf game. Teammate Ryan Ellis said Van Aswegen’s key to success has always been his focus—“truly doing whatever it takes to make the dream happen. He moved around the world at 18, practiced and worked while he was here.” Van Aswegen credited Blaser with helping him through the freshman doldrums. “It was tough,” Van Aswegen told the Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Connecticut. “I wasn’t expecting to come to America. Guys usually go to Europe from South Africa. … I decided to go, and the rest is history. “The people are great,” he said, adding Blaser is “still one of my good friends. He really helped me through my freshman year because that was a tough period. Anything worth doing is probably going
Tyrone Van Aswegen competes in the Web.com Tour. He is expected to earn his PGA TOUR card for the fourth consecutive year. Photo by Getty Images
to be really difficult.” Van Aswegen led the Stars to their first national championship in men’s golf as a freshman. He finished his OCU career with four team championships. For his efforts, he entered the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2015–16. After graduating with a business administration degree, Van Aswegen became a pro on the Sunshine Tour in his native South Africa. Two of Van Aswegen’s three pro victories came on that tour. In 2010, Van Aswegen’s finish in the PGA TOUR qualifying gained him full-time status on the Web.com Tour, the PGA’s developmental tour. In the 2013 Web.com Tour finals, Van Aswegen became the first OCU alum to score his PGA TOUR card. Van Aswegen finished 24th in the finals, which combined players’ finishes in the last four tour events of the year. He earned his card for playing in the Web.com Tour finals three consecutive years. PGA TOUR golfers can snare their cards for the following season by finishing
in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup point standings. He has been in the top 125 throughout the season. He started his 2015–16 PGA season with his career-best performance, tying for third place in the Frys.com Open, held Oct. 15-18 in San Martin, California. Van Aswegen added his second career top-five finish by tying for fifth in the Travelers Championship Aug. 4–7 in Cromwell, Connecticut. “He’s starting to get comfortable,” Blaser said. “He’s hitting his drive better. When he gets comfortable and confident, he can play with anybody. Tyrone knows he’s exactly where he belongs and will be for many years to come on the PGA.” “He should have no doubt that he is one of the best players in the world, and his time to win is soon,” Blaser said. “He’s had a great year, and I look forward to a strong finish.” Van Aswegen met his wife, Cristin, at OCU when they were freshmen. They have a daughter, Scarlett, and have settled in McKinney, Texas.
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