As he waited for the final scores to post at Monday’s open qualifier for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Nick Bienz was working on his second beer.
Bienz had just fired a 7-under 65, tied with two others for the clubhouse lead. With just a few groups left to turn in their scorecards, Bienz, who is from Indianapolis and works at Golf Galaxy to help fund his pro-golf career, was looking like he’d avoid a playoff and earn his first career PGA Tour start later this week at Detroit Golf Club.
“I need every ounce of alcohol to calm the nervous system and not vomit all over myself,” Bienz told Monday Q Info’s Ryan French, who was at the qualifier. “That’s where we’re at right now.”
If this four minutes doesn’t make you love Mondays I can’t help you.
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) June 24, 2024
Nick Bienz works at Golf Galaxy, has never played any pga tour sanctioned event, he is so nervous he’s pounding beers. Just shot 65.
Please take the time to watch this. pic.twitter.com/BeXgsjiWFv
But then two more 65s came in, and Bienz found himself in a 5-for-4 playoff with Beau Breault, Danny Guise, Brandon Berry and Angelo Giantsopolous.
In regulation, Bienz was bogey-free and 4 under through 14 holed when he stuck his second shot to 3 feet at No. 15 and made eagle. He capped his round by rolling in a 12-footer for birdie.
“I blacked out,” Bienz said of that last putt.
He then downed three beers in total. French reported that as Bienz walked to the first tee for the playoff, he said to him, “Remember how I said three beers would be a perfect amount? Well, I’m perfect.”
I’ve never rooted for someone so hard in the playoff. Nick Bienz went by me here and said.
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) June 24, 2024
“Remember how I said 3 beers would be a perfect amount? Well I’m perfect”.
I can’t tell you how much I love this. pic.twitter.com/nV9ERc8rbe
Berry birdied the first playoff hole, leaving the other four players, including Bienz, to battle for three spots. On the sixth playoff hole, Giantsopoulos canned a 40-footer for birdie to earn a spot for himself.
And then, finally, on the eighth hole of sudden death, Bienz holed a 4-footer for birdie to get through. Guise also birdied the hole to advance.
Nick Bienz has never played a pga tour sanctioned event. He has never played an event bigger than a state open. He pounded 3 beers before the playoff.
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) June 24, 2024
He just qualified for the Rocket Mortgage. pic.twitter.com/UM5aP37oyz
Bienz played college golf at Indiana University-Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI), graduating in 2019. He won the Indiana Open last year. He usually works about three days per week at Golf Galaxy during the summer, getting in practice time before or after work on one of his store’s nine TrackMan bays when he can’t sneak away to the golf course. He had planned to work the next three days before leaving for the John Deere Classic pre-qualifier.
“I have to call my boss and call out of work tomorrow,” Bienz said. “I’m supposed to be there at 7:30 in the morning, and I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
His plans, of course, have changed for the entire week. He’ll now head to Detroit Golf Club to register and start his prep before teeing off in Thursday’s first round, the first PGA Tour-sanctioned round of his career. He’s also exempt from pre-qualifiers for the rest of the season.
“I didn’t even pack clothes for this week,” Bienz said. “Every time I’d go to a Monday for a Korn Ferry Event, I used to pack like eight days’ worth of clothes; never made it through, so now I’ve gone to the strategy of pack just enough for the Monday and we’ll figure it out if we need to.”
Time to figure it out.