With his latest win at the ClubCorp Classic, Scott Parel is continuing to find success on the PGA Champions Tour. But professional golf has not always been the focus of the American, with his journey to the pinnacle of the sport far from conventional.
Before cementing himself as a regular on the PGA Champions Tour, Parel worked as a computer programmer and database administrator for more than 10 years.
Continuing to chip away at his golf on the side, Parel eventually turned professional in 1996 – at the relatively late age of 31 – and for several years the computer science graduate moved from tour to tour, mostly competing on the Web.com Tour – now the Korn Ferry Tour – where he racked up just $11,660 in prize money.
Parel’s big win eventually came at the Air Capital Classic in 2013. Since then, he has never looked back. Despite only playing in five regular PGA Tour events over the course of his career, making the cut just once, as well as two US Opens, Parel has now hit his peak on the senior circuit.
He is now a regular presence on the PGA Champions Tour, where his game has continued to go from strength to strength. Getting better with age like a fine wine, Parel now has four over-50 wins on his CV, six senior major top 10s, and more than $7 million in prize money.
It has been a truly remarkable journey for the golfer who once organised data for a living. But as his latest victory demonstrates, it’s never too late in golf, with Parel’s incredible story far from over.
A huge shout-out from Ryan French of The Firepit Collective for bringing this story to our attention through his brilliant Monday Q Info Twitter account. Because who can resist a good underdog story?
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George Cooper
