What a breath of fresh air! J.B. Holmes no doubt captured a legion of fans with his stunning knockout victory over the field at the FBR in Phoenix, AZ. If it was a fight, they would have stopped it on Sunday after the 15th hole. His progress from here will be an interesting story to follow. What we have here is a genuine, small-town, long-knockin’, country hero from Kentucky.

After an excellent - but not dominant - college career which culminated with J.B. playing in the Walker Cup, he turned pro, accepted an exemption into the Southern Farm Bureau Classic and promptly missed the cut. Then he girded his loins and headed off to the Tour Q-school. And made it through all three stages, including a first place finish in the six-round grinder to earn his Tour card.

What has developed since could not be scripted. A tenth place finish in his first event of the year in Hawaii. And now this, a victory where he demolished a very good field that included Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Chris DiMarco. And the way Holmes plays should make him a fan favorite for life. This kid hits it a million miles - straight – and he doesn’t back off when pressured. On top of all that he's a real good guy. Did you happen to see him stop and give his Dad a hug on the walk to the 18th tee Sunday? It was a MasterCard moment ... priceless.

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