After the Masters, Two ‘College Kids’ Hanging out at PGA Tour’s RBC at Hilton Head
MSU Senior James Piot continues his golf adventures after Augusta to play in the RBC Heritage, with Best Friend Zach Rosendale on the Bag
By Tom Lang
If anyone could be inside the head of MSU golfing sensation James Piot, it would be Zach Rosendale.
Zach and James are the same age, 23. They grew up together on Michigan’s Junior golf circuits, and eventually became teammates at Michigan State. While both had good success as kids, Zach got a small edge during high school by winning the 2017 Division 2 individual state title and was chosen Michigan’s Mr. Golf by the coaches’ association.
That all shifted in college, and it’s why James won the U.S. Amateur last summer, just finished playing in The Masters, and is golfing again this week as an amateur at the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island.
Zach is on the bag with James at the RBC as the pair of 4-year roommates at MSU will be soaking in the memories of James’ final month as a college kid.
Zach spoke with me Monday morning (April 11) from Hilton Head Island. We discussed the high school days when I covered both players and how he could always needle James a little about the state title and Mr. Golf award.
“That was always a big thing in the little rivalry that we had, although I always knew he was better than me, he just never got those,” Zach said. “Then James goes out and wins the U.S. Am, so now I have to keep my mouth shut.
“He’s always known that he’s been the best player on our team (at MSU), and he’s just kind of used that little chip on his shoulder to propel him to where he’s at now.”
Rosendale went on to explain that the Hilton Head experience will mostly be about the two players enjoying the short time left in amateur golf for James, before he turns pro after the spring college season.
“This week at Hilton Head is a chance to kind of take us back to the way we were in college, living together for 4 years, where I was used to seeing him every day, seeing him at practice,” Zach said. “James is now doing his own thing and he’s got bigger fish to fry. But I’m looking forward to a fun week with him, spending time together and carrying the bag.
“From the time that we got to Michigan State, kind of as dumb freshman for lack of a better term, we didn’t really know how everything works,” said Zach, who did not enact his Covid-year eligibility waiver and has graduated and is currently working on his PGA Certification as an instructor and event manager at Forest Akers.
“We’d wake up, go to class, go to practice and that’s all we knew,” he added. “But especially for James, he’s the hardest working golfer that I have ever seen. If he wasn’t doing schoolwork, he was going to the course or to the range, and that’s why he’s here (playing as an amateur on the PGA Tour). He’s got the best mindset of a player that I’ve ever seen.
“And it’s been amazing to see, as we’re such good friends and I’ve seen his game progress over the years to not only is he a better player, but he’s also just a better person in general. His goals are not about the numerical scores; they’re just about going out there and really just putting a good swing on every shot.”
Zach confirmed what James’ reported about their experience at Augusta National (Zach was there as a fan all week), where Spartan Nation was yelling out ‘Go Green’ 2-4 times per hole, and even more often during the practice rounds. James added that needing a bodyguard to part the fans to reach the first tee soon after Tiger Woods teed off was “the coolest thing in the world for a college guy.”
The RBC will likely be a stark contrast to Masters week – and that’s okay. This time is about two ‘college kids’ hanging out one last time like ‘the good ole days.’
The Tie that Binds:
Here’s a special story told by James Piot and his behind-the-scenes interaction with 2017 Masters’ champion Sergio Garcia”
“I’m a 23-year-old college kid that doesn’t know how to tie a tie. So, I’m getting ready for the Amateur Dinner (Tuesday night) and another amateur staying in the Crow’s Nest, Aaron Jarvis saying I don’t know how to tie a tie either. So, we’re there and don’t know what to do next, so I said we should go ask an employee, and we’re right down the stairs from the Champions locker room. I peaked my head in there just out of curiosity and Sergio Garcia is sitting there.
“And a worker said, ‘hey why don’t you go on in there. Walk on in.’ And I said, ‘alright, that sounds good.’
“So, we (with Jarvis) walk in there and I’ve got my tie in my hand since we were originally looking for a worker, and Sergio asks, ‘what’s going on there boys?’ And I tell him I don’t know how to tie a tie. And he’s like, ‘oh, I got you guys.’
“So, Sergio Garcia put my tie on for me for the Amateur Dinner, because I couldn’t do it. That was pretty cool, and I saw him a few more times throughout the week and every time I’d pass by he’d give me a little motion like, he’s tying off the tie and I thought it was pretty funny. Even during a practice round, I was on hole 3 and he was on 7, and he pointed over at me from 7 and did that little shake like he was tightening (a knot on) a tie, and I was like this is ridiculous. He was pretty funny though.”
