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Korn Ferry Tour pro wins local event after helicopter ride to playoff hole

October 26, 2020

Winning any golf tournament involves battling nerves down the stretch, but one Korn Ferry Tour pro had to overcome a different type of nerves while flying over that final stretch.

Such was the case at Saturday's inaugural Orange County Fall Classic at Osiris Country Club in Walden, N.Y. After earning a spot in a playoff, Ryan McCormick and fellow tour pro and friend Mike Miller hopped in a helicopter to ride back to the 18th tee. Yep, a helicopter.

“It (the helicopter ride) had me a little rattled," McCormick told the Times Herald-Record. "I hit a terrible tee shot. I got lucky that it was in play. I never thought that (the helicopter) would be something I would be doing going into a playoff.”

Minutes later, McCormick's par had wrapped up the win and a $7,000 check. He also got to slip on this fall brown jacket from the club's PGA Director of Golf and Jim Nantz ringer Brian Crowell. You gotta hand it to the event for having quite a flair for the dramatic.

McCormick, who finished 66th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list this past season, may go on to win bigger events, but we're pretty sure he'll never forget this one. He just might opt to walk to the tee next time.