Vincent Johnson

Amateur Arsenal

By Naimah Jabali-Nash

While warming up for a practice round, Johnson got the news. “I almost thought it was a prank call,” he says. Two weeks before the Northern Trust Open was held at Riviera Country Club, Johnson found out that he would be the first recipient of the inaugural Charlie Sifford Exemption. In honor of the World Golf Hall of Famer and the first African American to secure a pga Tour Card, the exemption allots one distinguished player the opportunity to break onto the Tour. And play in the Northern Trust Open—a tournament Sifford won forty years ago. “That’s all I was thinking about for two weeks—that first tee shot,” he admits. 

“I remember playing in my first U.S. Amateur when I was 18. I was like ‘Wow. I’m finally here.’ I had that same feeling when I got to Riviera.”

This is something of a surprise for one whose email address modestly reads—Invincible Man. An alter ego needed to face defending champion Phil Mickelson and the other 149 hungry players in search of an early Tour win before you-know-who returned. But the newbie was humbled by the mores of the pga Tour. He opted to go solo on his practice round. “I didn’t want to get anyone out of their routine,” he explains. “It’s the highest level you can play on. The way that I got in, through a sponsor’s exemption, you sort of feel like ‘Well, should I really be here?’” 

He would get the chance to answer his doubts. Standing on the 10th tee box, Johnson calmly went through his pre-shot routine. The announcer called his name: From Portland, Oregon—Vincent Johnson. “I hit a good tee ball, stuck a wedge in there and birdied my first hole. So much I’ll be able to recall later on in my life. But birdying that first hole was pretty cool,” he remembers. Johnson had escaped first hole jitters. He finished his first round in a pga Tour event at 1 under par. In the thick of the field and on the cusp of the cut line, Johnson received a few words from Mr. Sifford himself, “After my first round he said, ‘Good job and keep grinding and keep on it tomorrow,’” he recalls. 

Johnson opened his second round with ease and was 2 under par through four holes. But a bad judgment call on the par 4 5th would hinder the rookie’s chances of advancing on through the weekend. He was on the fringe, lying three over a down hill chip shot. One thought was on his mind—make par. Fixed on the target line, Johnson traced his eyes back to his ball. It was then that he noticed his ball looked farther from the club head. After speaking to his playing partner they both agreed to keep the ball in play. Johnson tapped out for bogey and moved on. Two holes later, a tournament rules official informed Johnson that his ball had in fact moved and he was to incur a two stroke penalty. “You want to get the call right. Next time I’ll exercise all my options to make sure that even if there is a penalty I’m getting the right call,” he says. Johnson finished 2 over par—three strokes from the cut. 

Before facing Hogan’s Alley, Johnson’s passion took root when he was six-years-old. His father, Daren, passed down his love for golf early on. Accepting a job at the local Glendoveer Golf Club, Daren saw it as an opportunity for his son to learn the game at no cost. “We worked a lot together when I was young and having that solid foundation is one of things that helped me get to where I am today,” he says. At 14 Johnson set a course record, shooting a 9 under par 62 on Gledoveer’s West Course. This was only the beginning. Johnson accumulated 68 junior titles before accepting a golf scholarship to Oregon State University. As co-captain his junior year, he was invited to the pga Minority Collegiate Golf Championship in Port St. Lucie, FL. In one of his best performances during his college career, Johnson’s 6 under par (210) showing allowed him to capture his second collegiate victory by 12 strokes.       

A mere two months ago the 22-year-old made the jump from the amateurs to the pros. He invested $10,000 into his future as a professional athlete by signing onto the Gateway Tour in Arizona. Now, more than 1,000 miles away from the dense Portland landscape of his hometown, Johnson is charting new territory in the desert plains of Phoenix. He has made the cut in four of his first seven starts; his best finish (T22) came in February at Hillcrest Golf Club. 

The world of an aspiring pga Tour professional is one of sheer grit, desire and most importantly—good golf. No matter the feat, the goal remains clear. Johnson’s stint at the Northern Trust Open has only fueled his drive to play with the world’s elite. “The biggest thing is perseverance, I could be on Tour next year or it could take seven or eight years—who knows?”