Former Baylor School and Vanderbilt University golfer Luke List earned his second PGA Tour win by capturing the Sanderson Farms Championship this past Sunday in Jackson, Mississippi.
List, who collected his first triumph at the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2022, snagged the Sanderson Farms victory by sinking a 43-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a five-man playoff. It was the first five-man playoff on the PGA Tour since 2017.
The 38-year-old went straight from Jackson to Las Vegas and is playing in the Shriners Children's Open, which started Thursday, but he found time to discuss his latest victory.
Q: How does it feel to now be a multi-time winner on the PGA Tour?
A: "It feels a bit surreal, but it feels fantastic."
Q: We're you nervous standing over that deciding putt, because you sure didn't show it?
A: "There is a level of nerves, but I've been around long enough to understand my tendencies and understand that I can compete at a high level. That's part of the enjoyment of competing and harnessing your abilities under those situations."
Q: How frustrating were the injuries and lack of top-10 finishes in between your two wins?
A: "It was unfortunate because I felt I had kind of turned the corner a little bit with my mindset and my game, but the health of my foot, hand and arm wasn't matching that. I just had to spin that in a good light. I got to spend some time with my family, do some physical therapy and work on some things. It was probably my longest break from the game since COVID, and I spun it as a reboot.
"Napa (California, the site of last month's Fortinet Championship, where List finished 25th) was a nice stepping stone in the right direction."
Q: Can you compare your two winning experiences?
A: "Both are similar in regards to a playoff and having the family there, but they are both special for different reasons. No one can take that first one away from you, but this maybe had a little more validation not only for other people but myself. It's also just the ability to persevere. It's not easy out here.
"There are a ton of young, talented, up-and-coming players, so it's deep out here, and just to win anywhere is a challenge."
Q: You've earned a berth at the 2024 Masters. What do you have to do to secure a spot in these signature $20 million events like the Memorial and Wells Fargo?
A: "I'm a little in the dark in a few of these categories, but the main thing is being in that 51-60 range in the FedExCup fall standings. I think I'm 61st in the rankings, so this put me in good position to get in that 51-60 range, and that gets me in Pebble Beach (for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and Riviera (for the Genesis Invitational), which are two iconic venues I really like, especially Riviera.
"For me, short term, that's the goal. Long term, if I can keep knocking up the world ranking to a higher level, then you're starting to talk about accessibility into the rest of these elevated events."
List vaulted from 159th to 80th in this week's Official World Golf Ranking, giving Baylor School four alumni in the top 100, with Harris English 39th, Keith Mitchell 66th and Stephan Jaeger 91st. This is the first time all four have been in the top 100, with Jaeger having steadily moved from 161st since the start of the year.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.