Kristoffer Reitan's surprise win at Truist summed up his professional golf journey
Kristoffer Reitan's, all this it was unexpected.
Standing on the 18th green at Quail Hollow Club, having just passed Rickie Fowler and Alex Fitzpatrick to win the Truist Championship, a PGA Tour Signature Event, it was difficult for Reitan to sum up the career-changing, exciting win on his unique golf journey.
It wasn't long ago that the Norwegian player put the clubs down. Golf no longer brings joy, it has become hopeless. With the spark that used to bring him so much happiness gone, Reitan thought about taking the next step. You've thought about getting into the golfing world of YouTube or maybe giving up golf altogether. Then, a few months later, Reitan discovered that the spark was gone; it just needed to be stopped. He picked up the clubs when he wanted, at his own pace. He played with friends and hit the shots he wanted, when he wanted; love returned.
He went from the Challenge Tour to the DP World Tour, and then last year at the Soudal Open, lightning struck and everything changed. Reitan started that Sunday nine shots off the lead. But he made nine birdies in his final 15 holes to shoot a course record 62 and finally win the playoff.
“I don't know what to say,” said Reitan who was surprised that day in Belgium. “It's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I keep thinking back to a few years ago when I was thinking about quitting because I wasn't enjoying it anymore, I wasn't seeing progress, and I was able to turn it around the way I did in the last few years it was amazing – to cap it off with a win here is a joke.”
That win, and more that followed, helped him secure a PGA Tour card. Then came another climb. He got off to a slow start this season as a key player, but his game has picked up over the past month. Then, last week, the unexpected happened again as Reitan entered the Cadillac Championship due to Jake Knapp's withdrawal on Thursday morning. He entered the race at Doral but disappeared on Sunday. When he finished his last hole in Miami, Reitan didn't think he'd be in the field this week in Charlotte. Despite a double bogey on his last hole, Reitan sneaked into the Truist field and took full advantage of a series of unexpected events.
After one week, he was world number one and reached the place he was far from in the world when he closed the clubs in 2022.
“I have no words, to be honest,” said Reitan after his win. “This is more than I expected and that it happened so quickly is unreal. Yes, the dream is coming true.”
Reitan said he thought about becoming a YouTube golfer to try to bring back the “fun competition.” He thought about what path he should take in life and what role golf would play in that path. In the end, what he found was something he would carry with him on the long road that led to his winning season at Quail Hollow.
“So I was just trying to find ways to make it more fun to give my golf journey a little more energy, and try to have fun while I'm playing so I can endure the next challenge, of course, with professional golf,” Reitan said.
“It helped me find my game again. It helped me find my talents again,” Reitan told CBS's Amanda Balionis. “Yeah, that was the most important thing for me, that I try to remind myself of every day. So that was a big thing for me to come back and start playing good golf again.”
The Norwegian, 28, started his climb from the lower levels of the European Tour. That was what it took to be the kind of golfer who could tame Quail Hollow and the best course in the world. Ever since he picked up his clubs and committed himself to professional golf, Reitan has always believed that this was possible, that he could succeed at the highest level. Everything needed to come together, brick by brick.
“I think there are a lot of pieces that need to be fixed,” said Reitan. “There's a puzzle that has to be put together in the end. I think I've made some strides in many areas of the game, but the biggest one is definitely the belief that I can do it. And I knew I could do it here on the PGA Tour.”
But just as lost for words after his much-anticipated comeback win in Belgium, Kristoffer Reitan was surprised by the speed of his rise.
When he hit the winning putt to win the final round, a 2-under 69 that saw him pass Fitzpatrick and hold off Fowler and Nicolai Hojgaard, Reitan's emotions did not get the better of him. He brought his hand to his mouth and briefly stroked his face. Then, he smiled, hugged Fitzpatrick and his caddy and settled down after an incredible year — one that began with golfing on YouTube and ended Sunday with an unexpected win.
Kind Kristoffer Reitan always believed it would come, even if he didn't see it.
“Absolutely over the moon. It happened faster than I could have imagined,” said Reitan. “I'm so happy. It's great, it's a great feeling. Thank you very much.”
