The Loop
Billy Hurley III finds motivation in cute, but harsh comment from his son
Billy Hurley III didn't need anymore motivation for 2016. Losing full-time playing privileges on the PGA Tour is enough to get any golfer going. But his competitive fire was recently ignited even more by a cute, but harsh comment from his son, Jacob.
Of course, it was just an innocent observation, but Hurley's #playbetter hashtag indicates he's taking the exchange to heart. It's funny, because fans should be lining up at tour stops for Hurley's autograph. The man served in the Navy for five years after graduating from the Naval Academy and was still able to work his way onto the PGA Tour.
Hurley hasn't notched a win yet, but he has seven top-10 finishes and has racked up more than $2 million in earnings. He'll try to add to those totals this year, splitting his time between the PGA Tour and the Web.com Tour.
Of course, Hurley is also still recovering from a family tragedy. Last summer, his father, who got Billy started in golf, committed suicide. ESPN's Jason Sobel recently wrote a great piece on how Hurley is learning to cope with this painful loss.
So play -- and feel -- better, Billy. We're rooting for you.