What a week it's been for PGA Tour rookie Kristoffer Reitan. The young Norwegian didn't even plan to be at the Cadillac Championship this week—and now he's in contention for a life-changing result at one of the biggest events of the season.
It started with a whirlwind of uncertainty. Reitan was on the alternate list for the $20 million, no-cut Signature Event at Trump National Doral. His caddie, Tim Poyser, had already flown back to Scotland, assuming his boss wouldn't get in. But when Patrick Cantlay withdrew early in the week due to illness, Reitan moved to first alternate. Then, just before his Thursday tee time, Jake Knapp pulled out with a wrist injury. Just like that, Reitan was in.
The problem? He didn't arrive at Doral until Wednesday and hadn't even seen the full 18 holes before stepping onto the first tee. His swing coach, Denny Lucas, stepped in as a fill-in caddie for the opening round. Poyser tried to race back from Scotland but had flight issues and missed the first day entirely. Despite the chaos, Reitan fired a 2-under 70 on Thursday, then backed it up with a bogey-free 68 on Friday to vault up the leaderboard. A Saturday 69 kept the momentum rolling, and he'll enter Sunday's final round tied for second place—six shots behind leader Cameron Young.
"It's been a little bit of a whirlwind, emotionally, this week," Reitan said after his round Saturday. "Mainly happy to be here and get a chance in one of the Signature Events. I've been trying to look at it as whatever happens this week is a bonus, no matter what. Obviously, very, very pleased to be in the position I'm in."
Thursday was the toughest test. "I was half prepared for playing a golf tournament," Reitan admitted. "You just get tossed out into it, and I tried to make the most of it. Happy with how I dealt with that."
Poyser made it back to the bag on Friday, but not without some good-natured ribbing from his boss about missing the first round of a Signature Event. "I've been giving him just a little bit of stick for it," Reitan said with a grin.
For a rookie who barely made it into the field, this week at Doral could be the turning point of his entire season. Whether he holds on for the win or not, Reitan has already proven that sometimes the best opportunities come from the most unexpected moments.