For a moment, it looked like a disaster. A tee shot on the second playoff hole veered right, heading straight for trouble—until fate, or perhaps just a lucky bounce, intervened. The ball clipped a tree, came off the cart path, and landed in the rough. This was the stroke of fortune that the 31-year-old Brian Campbell needed after 187 combined starts on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. It was the kind of break that separates heartbreak from triumph and The Big Ten Player of the Year in 2014 for Illinois, buried a 3-foot-7-inch birdie putt to defeat 20-year-old Aldrich Potgieter from South Africa, for his first PGA Tour victory. This win marked a long-awaited triumph for Campbell after spending nearly a decade on the Tour and his long-time girlfriend Kesli Mckee had a difficult time controlling her emotions.

Since turning pro in 2015, Brian Campbell hasn’t had the chance to compete in many tournaments on the Tour, with just 27 appearances over the past 8 years. But his triumph in the Mexico Open on Sunday not only brought him a much-awaited win but plenty of laurels and rewards. Apart from a $1.26 million first-place check, Campbell has earned a two-year Tour exemption, an invitation to the Players Championship and the Masters, and a spot in 2025’s remaining elevated Tour events. Naturally, he was overwhelmed following this stunning result.

“I’m just literally freaking out now. To be in this position is unreal. I can’t believe it,” Campbell said. Before this week, Campbell had appeared in 159 events on the KornFerry Tour and another 27 on the PGA Tour, without notching a top 10. It had been a long road that was filled with challenges for the former collegiate standout.

Having earned his Tour card in 2017, he lost it at the end of the season and spent the next eight years trying to get it back. He was ranked 74th in driving distance among the 77 players to make the weekend in Puerto Vallarta, where he eventually prevailed. In the winner’s press conference, on Sunday, Brian Campbell expressed his gratitude to his family and girlfriend for their unwavering support throughout his career.

“My family means everything. They are the sole reason why I’m here today. Without their support, I don’t know what I would be doing. They’re so special to me. They have supported me this whole time. It’s not all been good. I had a struggle period for many years. They’ve let me keep getting after it,” he said. Campbell also made sure to thank his girlfriend for her unrelenting support.

Campbell added, “And Kelsi, I can’t say enough about her, she’s just my rock out here. I get to do what I get to do and she’s always there in my corner. It’s just been a blessing. Thank you so much.”

Kelsi went through a rollercoaster of emotions as her boyfriend shot a final-round 1-under 70 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to post 20-under par 264. When Campbell sunk the final shot to win, Kelsi let out a scream and fell to her knees, overcome with emotion. She then rushed onto the field jumping straight into Campbell’s arms and embraced him.

Speaking afterward, she said, “It’s just one of those moments where you kind of don’t believe it at first. Like I think at first, I was like, ‘Is this actually happening?’ But then once it soaked in and once I realized, I was just like he’s worked so hard for this, and all I wanted to do was see him smile with the trophy and that was my dream. Just to see him happy. So happy.

When I tell you how he’s worked, how he’s come literally from the bottom to here, and watching that process on the Korn Ferry Tour when he almost lost his status there. And to now see him win, all I see is just all the work he’s put in and this moment belongs to him.”

Well, there is no doubt that she is Campbell’s biggest fan. Campbell has been public about his relationship with McKee since at least 2020. Despite being a full-fledged author and a copywriter herself, she is always traveling with him for his golf tournaments.

Being with a professional golfer comes with its own set of challenges, like occasionally stepping onto the course yourself. But Kelsi McKee doesn’t shy away from the experience. Brian Campbell shared a fun collage on his Instagram, showing the couple at Deer Creek Course at Landings Club, with a playful caption that read, “Loved having my photographer last week in Savannah @keeksmckee #shesgotskills.”

Meanwhile, the golf community was also rejoicing at the emotional embrace between Campbell and McKee

Golf fans thrilled for Campbell and McKee after historic win

Campbell and Potgieter each made a birdie on the 18th in regulation and started the playoff with a par. Returning to the par-5 closing hole for the third time, Campbell hit a hard fade toward the out-of-bounds stakes. But it crashed into the trees and popped back out into the rough. He still was 94 yards behind Potgieter, but now at least he had a chance. He hit fairway metal to 68 yards short and hit a lob wedge that checked up just short of the hole.

“You’ve got to get those breaks sometimes. Unfortunately, I hit a really bad tee shot there, caught the tree, was able to keep it in play and get ourselves in a good position to get a wedge and keep the pressure on,” he said afterward. He took full advantage of his fortune to come out on top and celebrate with his girlfriend and the fans were happy for them.

Reacting to the winning moment on X, a fan wrote, “Love this! Man, that hits the feels. What a great moment.” Another fan reacted to Mckee’s happiness over Campbell’s win stating, “Dude. Seeing how much it meant to her. How much they really wanted/ needed it. Its just incredible. Well done to all and congratulations.”

The tussle between Campbell and Potgieter was topsy-turvy tussle throughout the final round. Talking about the pressure and how his nerves were, Campbell admitted,

“I thought I was going to throw up at multiple times during the day. That last hole, I guess I just wanted to keep the party going a little longer but not by design. Yeah, it was really fun to play against him. We had some guys further back coming
up to get us too, so we had a lot to think about.”

It might have been a more exciting affair than Campbell would’ve wanted, but the fans just couldn’t get enough of the scenes after his win. A fan wrote, “

This was amazing to watch. I love that she was so invested in his accomplishment and knows how hard he worked to get the win.” Another fan also lauded Mckee for her support saying, “What a fantastic support system he has in her!”

One fan even urged Campbell to take the next step with Mckee, writing,

“What a great gal! Marry her already.”  For Campbell, this win marks the culmination of a near decade-long journey of ups and downs. He now will hope this win is the first of many to come down the road.