In 2019, facing career extinction, Cameron Percy tried something desperate: putting in without looking at the hole. Trusting pure instinct over sight, he shot 64 with nine birdies, leaving his young son in tears of joy. The radical experiment captured everything about Percy’s two-decade journey—when traditional methods fail, innovation and blind faith sometimes create magic.

Percy embodies golf’s ultimate paradox—a player who started too late, succeeded too slowly, and proved that conventional timelines mean nothing. The Australian golfer didn’t touch a club until age 15, yet built a career spanning over two decades on America’s most competitive tours. Sharing career milestones, such as a hole-in-one at the ME Classic Golf, highlighted by the PGA TOUR Champions, Percy continues to create memorable moments that define his resilience. “It’s a really hard thing to do, to trust your instincts and not even look at the hole, but that’s where I’m at,” he told RNS after that remarkable round at ME Classic 2025. His story challenges everything we think we know about timing in professional golf.

How did Cameron Percy’s journey begin?

Percy’s journey began on May 5, 1974, in Chelsea, Victoria, a bayside suburb steeped in Australian rules football tradition. His parents, both schoolteachers, raised him with ironclad values of financial discipline and humility. These principles would anchor him through decades of professional uncertainty.

Growing up in Chelsea’s sports-obsessed culture, Percy naturally excelled at team athletics. He dominated Aussie rules football, cricket, and basketball during his youth. Golf remained completely foreign until his grandmother changed everything with a simple gesture. She handed him her forgotten set of clubs, gathering dust in the garage.

Percy took those rusty relics to Chelsea Public Golf Course, a modest 9-hole layout. Something clicked immediately. The teenager suddenly found himself hitting 400 balls daily on dirt fairways. His late start became his secret weapon. He approached the sport without preconceived habits, developing creativity over conventional technique.

Financial reality hit hard. His parents couldn’t fund his golf ambitions, so resourcefulness became essential. Percy worked as a bartender and sports reporter, serving drinks and writing articles to pay for tournament entries. This blue-collar grind taught invaluable lessons about money management that would serve him throughout his career.

Moving to nearby Warragul in rural Gippsland only intensified his obsession. The area’s isolation meant hitting balls off dirt lies and putting on sand greens. Yet this harsh environment forged resilience that polished courses never could. Amid the grind, he found his person.

Percy’s family life is blissful

In the early 2000s, Percy married Katie, forging a partnership that would become his career’s cornerstone. Katie understood professional golf’s demands from day one. She proved it spectacularly by caddying for him during his qualification for the 2003 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. Percy still calls this achievement his “biggest thrill in golf,” partly because Katie shared every nerve-wracking moment.

In the mid-2000s, the couple made Raleigh, North Carolina, their home base. This strategic location provided easy access to U.S. tournaments while offering suburban stability perfect for raising a family. Soon, their three sons arrived: Liam, Ashton, and Tyler. Each addition brought immeasurable joy and new challenges to Percy’s touring lifestyle. Balancing professional dreams with family reality became Percy’s most significant test. By 2023, he realized he had spent nearly half of his eldest son Liam’s life away from home. Consequently, he prioritized coaching his sons’ sports teams and reducing travel whenever possible.

While Percy’s foundation provided unwavering support, his professional journey unfolded with equal determination and countless obstacles that would test every lesson learned from his humble beginnings.

Cameron Percy’s professional golf evolution: From amateur champion to Champions Tour success

Percy’s amateur career exploded with his stunning 1996 Victorian Amateur Championship victory. There, he defeated future U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy, announcing himself as a legitimate talent despite his late start. Back-to-back Tasmanian Open titles in 1997 and 1998 followed, building momentum toward his professional turn.

He launched his professional career in 1998 with virtually no financial backing. Early struggles on Australia’s Von Nida Tour taught brutal lessons about persistence. Three wins on that circuit gradually built his confidence. Then came the bold decision to pursue American opportunities.

Percy’s initial U.S. journey proved punishing. His first Nationwide Tour stint in 2005 yielded disappointing results, forcing a return to Australia. However, he again dominated the Von Nida Tour in 2006, earning another shot at American qualifying. His breakthrough came during the 2008-2009 Nationwide Tour campaign, where eight top-10 finishes finally secured his PGA Tour card for 2010.

The PGA Tour years brought consistent competence rather than spectacular victories. Percy’s closest brush with winning came at the 2010 Shriners Children’s Open, where he lost in a heartbreaking playoff. Still, steady play earned him over $6.8 million in career earnings and 12 top-10 finishes across 220 starts.

His accuracy-based game thrived despite golf’s power revolution. In 2023, Percy ranked fifth on the PGA Tour in greens-in-regulation, proving that precision still matters in an era obsessed with distance.

That desperation-putting experiment in 2019 perfectly encapsulated his career philosophy. Facing potential demotion to the Korn Ferry Tour, Percy trusted instinct over convention, demonstrating his willingness to innovate under pressure. Anyways, turning 50 in May 2024 opened exciting new doors for Percy.

New chapter in an Australian golfer’s life

Percy earned full PGA Tour Champions status by winning Q-School medalist honors, finally finding a tour that perfectly suited his patient, strategic approach. His Champions Tour debut has exceeded expectations. Percy took the first-round lead at the 2025 Senior PGA Championship with a bogey-free 67, despite managing a persistent back injury.

Beyond tournament success, Percy’s legacy lives through the Cameron Percy Scholarship at Southern Golf Club in Melbourne. Established to support elite junior golfers from non-traditional backgrounds, the scholarship provides coaching, equipment, and tournament funding, paying forward the opportunities Percy never had.

Today, Percy represents something invaluable in professional golf. His journey proves that success doesn’t require early stardom, natural gifts, or privileged backgrounds. Sometimes, borrowed clubs, blind faith, and unwavering determination create the most meaningful stories of all.