LA QUINTA, Calif. – Hudson Swafford thought about his late father Sunday at PGA West, where he won The American Express tournament for the second time in five years.
“I had a couple moments where I looked up and knew that he was following and knew that he was there,” Swafford said. “I could just hear his voice saying, ‘Just be confident in what you’re doing. You’re playing great.’ And he goes, ‘Just play to win.'”
David Swafford died Dec. 6 at age 83. He gave Hudson his first golf clubs at age 2.
“One of the best people I know, and he taught me everything I know,” said Swafford, a 34-year-old from Tallahassee, Florida, who played for the University of Georgia. “How to be a dad, how to be a friend, how to be a champion and how to play golf. He’s the one that got me into golf when I was young. He gave me every opportunity to succeed, but never pushed it on me.”
Swafford broke a late tie with an eagle in an 8-under-par 64 on the Stadium Course. He finished at 23-under 265, beating Tom Hoge (68) by two strokes after beginning the day three shots behind rookies Paul Barjon and Lee Hodges.