At the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, while the weather outpours, one pro is sailing through all the obstacles thrown at him. The 28-year-old, Andrew Novak, is aiming to clinch his first-ever PGA Tour victory at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open with 12 under after two rounds.

The resident from Simons Island has hit the headlines, but not much is known about the young golfer. Who is Andrew Novak, and how did he climb the ropes of success?

Andrew Novak’s first-ever encounter with golf

The WM Phoenix Open’s leader was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on March 31st, 1995, to Sarah and Ralph Novak. Andrew Novak’s introduction to golf was through Carl Pettersson. At the age of three, Novak attended a collegiate event and got a North Carolina logoed ball, which he still keeps in his home.

Since then, the SC native has been hooked on the game of golf. He started his journey towards it at Academic Magnet High School. Novak was on the school team and individually won the 2011 Beth Daniel Junior Azalea and the South Carolina Amateur in 2014. After high school, he was admitted to Wofford College.

Novak graduated with a degree in Business Economics in 2017. During his stay, he played for the Wofford Terriers and won two events with them. In his graduation year, he was named the South Conference Player of the Year and qualified for the NCAA regional individual events twice.

After winning four times in his college year and subsequent graduation, Novak made his way to developmental Tours. His first stop was the Mackenzie Tour, or the PGA Tour Canada. After playing for a year at PGAT Canada, he joined the Ferry Tour in April 2018. At KFT, he struggled to find his footing for two years.

Andrew Novak’s first win in the realm of golf

In 2020, at the KFT Lecom Suncoast Classis, the stars aligned, and Novak won for the first time. He was 16th in the top 25 on the money list and earned his PGA Tour card for the following season. He became the second Wofford graduate, after William McGirt, to become a PGA Tour member. In the last three years, Novak had only two top-10 finishes at the PGA Tour, and in the last three runs of the 2024 season, Novak had missed all three cuts.

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This is the first time in a while that Novak is in contention and leading the field. Last year, he barely made it in the season, as he ranked 124th on the FedExCup standings and celebrated with his family, as they were there to support him at the last qualifying event. Speaking of his family, since his college days, Novak has had solid support from the love of his life.

The 28-year-old has been long married to his college love, Maddie Novak. The couple got engaged in March 2020, and eight months later they tied the knot on Saint Simons Island, Georgia. The two live on the island with their pet doodle, Teddy.

Will Novak eventually move forward with his first PGA Tour victory and make his dream come true? Tell us your predictions in the comments!

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