Moving Day has arrived at the Tour Championship, with the 30 top players in the FedEx standings battling for the season-ending trophy. CBS reporter Amanda Balionis, of course, has been keeping a close eye on all the action. However, before the third round began, something unexpected caught her attention as she was leaving the gym on Saturday. The moment clearly touched her, prompting her to take to Instagram and share the heartwarming story with her followers.
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Balionis recalled overhearing a touching exchange between two women in the locker room area. One woman complimented another on her glasses, prompting her to explain that they had belonged to her late father.
“She’s been wearing them anyway in honor of her dad, and she said, ‘It’s been hard.’ She said, ‘It’s been a few years, but it still feels like it was just yesterday,’” Amanda Balionis recalled.
The other woman, who had also lost her father, offered a heartfelt response.
“But girl, go get your glasses fixed. Make sure your memories are functional memories. Your dad wouldn’t want you to be struggling.”
The moment left Amanda Balionis deeply moved.
“Oh my God, what a beautiful sentiment from two people who have shared grief, are complete strangers, and what an unbelievable way to phrase that… We want to keep those we have lost close to us, but make sure it’s functional in serving our purpose, because those we have lost who we love would never want us to continue to suffer, and call that honoring their memory. God, I just really love that.”
The reason this story resonated with the CBS reporter defines her own life. Balionis lost her father, Tony, in September 2018. He had never fully recovered from injuries sustained in a serious head-on car crash involving him and Balionis’ mother, Dana, in Florida in 2016. His death was hard on Amanda Balionis, given how close they were. She said she felt fortunate that her family got an additional two and a half years with him after the accident.
Before her father’s death, Amanda Balionis revealed she spent every moment she could with him and treasured the memories they created. As she struggled with the grief of losing her father, her mother was an important source of support. Balionis described her mother as her biggest cheerleader and credited her parents and family with helping her persevere in her career. For now, though, her attention has returned to the Tour Championship.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee led with a bogey-free 8-under 62 after the first round. But now, after the second round, Viktor Hovland and Ryan Gerard are tied for the lead at 10 under. Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup sit one back at 9 under. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Young, who surged with a 62 after starting near the bottom, are at 8 under.
That said, while the action at East Lake kept fans glued to TV screens, Amanda Balionis stole the show with a heartwarming story.