You might not be familiar with the name Derek Bard. It may or may not ring a bell now. The 29-year-old is just another player at the PGA Tour Q-School at TPC Sawgrass. One of 171 vying for a card next year. Today, you might call him a journeyman golfer. But nine years ago, Bard was a rising star. 

He was part of a batch that included Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Maverick McNealy, and Davis Riley. The University of Virginia alum dueled with most of them at the 2015 US Amateur. Bard, then 51 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, outclassed the no. 1 amateur, Jon Rahm, in the quarterfinals and Kenta Konishi in the semifinals.

Then came the 36-hole final against the NCAA Division I champion, Bryson DeChambeau. At that point, Bard’s best achievement was the 2015 Sunnehanna Amateur victory. That wasn’t enough against DeChambeau. A 7&6 dress-down was demoralizing, but Derek Bard had more fuel left in himself. 

“He’s a tremendous putter. And he’s always putted well on extremely fast, firm greens,” his coach at UVA, Bowen Sargent, said ahead of the 2016 Masters, where Bard was one of the few amateurs. Although he missed the cut, Derek Bard was promising enough to land a Titleist sponsorship deal when he turned pro in 2017. 

Then he fell from grace. “Things had gotten pretty bad,” the 29-year-old told Ryan French of Monday Q Info. Back-to-back missed cuts and bottom-rung finishes pushed him on a different trajectory than where he wanted to be. Until this year.

Derek Bard once again chasing the PGA Tour dream

Nine years down the road, Derek Bard was teeing off in minitours, barely making any profitable income, and battling with thoughts of giving up altogether. His girlfriend, Lauren, a kindergarten teacher, pushed him. They got married last month. “She’s been so great the last couple of years. We’ve been together for five years now… She’s been my number-one fan. Biggest supporter,” the former Virginia Cavaliers told Korn Ferry Tour.

Derek Bard eventually took a job at the Atlantic Beach Country Club to fund his dream. 2024 was his sixth time at the PGA Tour Q-School. Before this year, only once did he make it to the final stage. That was in 2018 when he failed to make the giant leap. Six years later, he is back at it again. 

Back in 2016, Bard said this about his runner-up finish at the US Amateur. “The thing that helped me that week was that I was patient, probably the most I’ve ever been on a course, and nothing much bothered me.” He would hope to keep the same spirit at TPC Sawgrass. The top five and ties at the Q-School will make it to the PGA Tour next year. Derek Bard can be one of them.