‘A backpack, four pairs of clothes and toiletries’: New York golfer’s mad, crowdfunded dash to play

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Delays at JFK then Singapore had him on edge enough that he couldn’t sleep at all on the New York to Singapore leg and then was awake through the night after arriving in Melbourne.

Miller is no mug. He has played in two US Opens and finished 22nd in the Australian Open in 2017 but the winds of fate were blowing hard in his face when he finally took the driver to tee off on the 10th (his first hole) at Victoria Golf Club at 1.29pm on Thursday.

“I got off to a sluggish start with a double bogey on the first hole from the middle of the fairway,” he said.

Miller then scraped his way back to par after 11 holes. He was in the hunt. But then his body said no more.

“I had absolutely nothing. In the last six or seven eight holes I was just fried. I was a zombie,” he said. “The guys in the group were courteous. I don’t think I would have been as courteous to myself. I was hitting it everywhere.”

He had a double bogey on the 12th, then four bogeys in a row before finishing with a double-bogey and a score of eight over par. He had been rudely awoken as he dreamed of a miracle.

“It was a long shot for me to even make the cut let alone winning,” Miller said.

But he is, like most golfers, an eternal optimist so a wry smile appeared at the start of every sentence.

And he had reason to do so as avid golf fans through the world had paid for his flight by the time he landed after golf writer Ryan French put a shout-out through his widely followed social media channels. People lobbed $2300 in dribs and drabs into his Venmo account.

“People love golf and I love golf so they are willing to help out a guy they have no idea about,” Miller said.

Until now.

Invited to play in next week’s Victorian PGA, he doubts he will be able to stay so expects to be back on a plane on Sunday, the weather likely to limit any hopes of sightseeing.

And to think AFL clubs complain about travel.

“I faded. I would have liked one more day and then start the tournament, but it is what it is.”