It was the 2000 World Golf Championship-NEC Invitational. An 11-year-old Akron local was following every swing of Tiger Woods, walking behind the world no.1 to every hole, and was cheering for the Hall of Famer with the gallery. That 11-year-old kid, Justin Lower, is now a PGA Tour pro himself. 

Lower’s love for Woods is well-known; his old Instagram posts are filled with Woods’s quotes and pictures. But besides being a Woods fan and a PGA Tour pro, Lower is a man who overcame all the hurdles life threw at him. His journey to the top tier of American golf is a riveting tale.

How Justin Lower got hooked on Golf

Justin Lower was born on April 4, 1989, to Debbie and Tim. The Ohio native was introduced to golf through his dad. It took some time to master the game, but once he was set, outmatching father wasn’t a big of an issue.

The first time he bested his father, Lower was only 13. They played nine holes on 2001 New’s Eve and when they went to the clubhouse for a hot chocolate, they counted the strokes. Justin Lower scored 42 to his dad’s 43.

Lower’s father also used to be present at the tournaments he played. The 31-year-old once said, “He wasn’t real vocal, but he would watch and I would always notice when he got there. I knew if he crossed his arms, I wasn’t playing well and he’d get this ‘get your head out of your a*s’ look on his face.”

But his father, who worked as a gravedigger for an excavating company, never discouraged his son from dreaming big. Justin Lower was only a kid of 11 when he first told his father about his PGA Tour ambitions. Tim wanted him to work hard towards it. Justin Lower also had a brother, Chris. His brother and father, however, were killed in an accident when Lower was still a teenager.

When tragedy hit the Lower family

Lower was only 15. It was March 26, 2005. The teenager was waiting for his father at the Lyons Den Golf Course. He was supposed to pick him up by 5:30-6 PM, with Chris beside him. Then it got really late. Lower’s mother called and came to pick him up. 

Tim Lower and Chris weren’t home still.

A call from the American Legion, where his father went for a drink, broke the news. There was a car wreck at Marshallville Road. They hurried to the spot. Lower doesn’t remember what happened later very well. Debbie screamed. The medics stopped her from reaching the car. 

The family of four was now a family of two. 

There have been times when Justin Lowe walked up to his brother’s room to ask for a video game. Only to realize the room is empty. That pain was hard to overcome. The fact that Justin never knew his father had a drinking problem stung him more. 

On that fateful day, Tim was inebriated. The alcohol percentage was three times that of the accepted limit. “The memories I have are all good memories with my dad and brother. They were so much fun. Most of the memories I have with my dad are on the golf course,” the PGA Tour pro once told the Canton Repository.

The first few months were hard. Lower graduated from high school with low grades. Not enough to get him into the most prestigious golf programs in the USA. However, Lower entered Malone University and thrived in a team environment. 

The teenager eventually joined the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry route during the 2021-22 season. To this day, the ball marker reads, “Dad 3-26-2015 Chris.” Lower was still struggling in the developmental tour when he met his future wife, Janise. A decade later the couple is now a parent of a two-year-old.

Justin Lower is a family man

Justin Lower is married to Janis Sandrock, who was born on July 11, 1989. It’s not clear when the duo started dating. But Lower’s earliest post with Janis dates back to 2014, three years after he turned pro. The goofy couple tied the knot on September 21, 2019. 

Lower and his wife welcomed their firstborn in 2022. Justin Lower posted on his Instagram handle, “We welcomed Ariana Lynn to the world on 12/20/22! 7 lbs 8 oz • 21 in. Baby Ari is already a little trooper and greater than any gift we could have hoped for.”  

Lower’s wife and daughter travel with him almost every week. In a recent interview with Malone University, the 35-year-old said, “My wife and daughter travel with me; my daughter is 20 months old and has probably been on 60 flights already.”

Lower also had another member in his family. His pet dog, Darby. The poodle was a companion of Lower for over a decade. “I’d give you all the human foods you could want right now if I could, just to get one more hug. We love you and miss you Darby Darbster,” Lower wrote early this year remembering his four-legged friend.

Besides being a golfer, Lower also wants to start a foundation. He is currently involved with the Ohio Guidestone- Foster Care and Family Services. But his goal is to start something in the vein of the Jordan Spieth Foundation. Four top-ten finishes in 2024 is a good indication that he will rake in enough money in the coming years to materialize his dream.