Murrysville's Palmer Jackson dedicates 1st pro win to his ailing mother
It might have been Father’s Day, but for Murrysville native Palmer Jackson it was Mother’s Day.
Jackson won his first professional golf tournament Sunday, and he dedicated his victory to his ailing mother, Nancy.
“She told me to win for her,” Jackson said after he won the Raiffeisenbank Golf Challenge at Kaskada Golf Resort in Brno, Czech Republic.
Jackson, a Franklin Regional and Notre Dame graduate, is playing in the HotelPlanner Tour, which is the DP World Tour version of the PGA’s Korn Ferry Tour. He was a PIAA and PIAA West Regional champion in 2018 and a two-time West Penn Golf Association Player of the Year and reached the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals in 2019.
Jackson shot a 21-under-par 263 to claim the title. He started the final round tied for first at 14-under with Joshua Barry but scorched the field with a 7-under 64 to win by six shots.
“This is incredible,” Jackson said in an interview on HotelPlanner Tour. “It is one of the best feelings in my life.
“I knew, how the leaderboard was, someone was going to have to go out and win this. Two guys in my group did not get off to a great start, and I kind of capitalized on it early.”
Jackson said he was comfortable being in the lead, a position he’s been in before.
“I am comfortable there, and it is so difficult,” Jackson said. “Making a couple putts when I felt I needed them were important.
“I had good ball control all week, and for me that was very helpful.”
Jackson said he was trying to get to 20-under, and he did.
Jackson then became emotional when talking about his parents — his dad (Doug), who was a big influence on him, and especially his mom, who is battling health problems.
“My mom told me to win the tournament over here,” Jackson said, wiping away tears, “and I am glad I did for her.”
Jackson said he does not know what this win will do for him.
“I had not been playing up to my standards,” he said. “Maybe this week I exceeded them.”
Jackson, 24, began the day ranked 2,200 in the Official World Golf Ranking and 15th in the HotelPlanner Tour Rankings, a number that will certainly improve after his performance Sunday.
Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.
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