Austin Smotherman’s earliest golf memory is a simple one. At five years old, he was hitting balls in the front yard with his dad when one landed on the roof of his family’s one-story house. It’s a memory he still cherishes. More than two decades later, he has won his second PGA Tour trophy in Bermuda, with a reminder of that same bond with his father literally around his neck all week.

On Monday, Smotherman beat Seamus Power on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2026 and clinch his second PGA Tour title in just 22 days. Asked how his career and life had changed, he said he couldn’t put it into words just yet.

“Probably not right now. I just want to get back to my family and go celebrate with them. Oh my gosh. When I won in Utah, I had forgotten my dad’s necklace at home that week, and I wore it all week this week. Brought it to the islands with me. This one’s for him,” he said to the press.

It’s easy to see why he credits his father, Troy Smotherman. Long before golf became his livelihood, it was a way for the two to bond in the front yard of their family home in Loomis, California. Golf wasn’t his only sport growing up, and he remained largely self-taught, taking fewer than ten lessons by his junior year of high school. But as his game developed, his father kept steering him towards the right support.

Smotherman has recalled telling his father near the end of his high school golf career that he wanted to play professionally. Troy’s response was that he had been suggesting the same thing for a long time.

“I remember telling my dad (Troy Smotherman) at the end of my high school golf career that I want to play professional golf for a living. My dad was like, ‘Well, now that you told me, I can tell you that I’ve been saying that for a long time now.’ I guess he kind of always saw it in me,” as reported by Haggin Oaks.

Seen that way, the necklace is far more than a keepsake. Austin Smotherman, the Sacramento Player of the Year (2012), needed 100 starts to win his first PGA Tour title in Utah, a breakthrough that came without his dad’s necklace. His second victory came in his 101st start, with the necklace around his neck all week.

But even with that reminder of his father’s support, the win was anything but easy. It took a lot more power than sentiment to get past Seamus Power in Bermuda.

For context, Smotherman arrived at Port Royal ranked 52nd in FedEx Cup points, with his status already secure. He said he had debated taking time off before making the trip to Bermuda. But he still came and opened with rounds of 65 and 66, adding another 66 that included an eagle on the par-five seventh. By the end of Saturday, he was sharing the 54-hole lead with Power at 16 under.

Then the weather took over. Gusts topped 40 mph on Sunday, preventing any of the 72 players who made the cut from starting the final round. The PGA Tour declared the event a 54-hole tournament, setting up a Monday playoff on the par-3 16th, which runs along the Atlantic coast.

Power, ranked 103rd, also had plenty at stake, with his PGA Tour card through 2028 and a spot in the new Championship Series on the line. The first two playoff holes came down to scrambling. Smotherman missed the green on the first but got up and down to match Power’s par, while Power missed a 21-foot birdie try. On the second, Smotherman rolled a 75-foot lag putt to tap-in range, while Power blasted out of a bunker to leave himself within five feet.

The third hole proved decisive after the pin position was changed for their return. Smotherman found the green, but Power’s tee shot ended in deep left rough, and he could only make a bogey. Smotherman then lagged his putt from about 14 feet before holing a two-foot putt for par and the win.

After clinching the victory, he could hardly contain his smile. When asked how he was feeling, he laughed and said, “Stop it, stop it. That’s so cool. I’m still shaking. That putt was not easy.”

The grandfathers behind the game

Austin Smotherman’s game has been shaped by his entire family. His maternal grandfather, Bill Equistepasse, introduced him to golf by cutting down an old Sam Snead seven-iron and a persimmon five-wood into child-size clubs, using duct tape and electrical tape for grips. They helped Smotherman get started, and he has kept both clubs tucked away at his mom’s house.

“He taught me how to play the game,” Smotherman had said after his Utah win.

His paternal grandfather, Bob, also has a place in his routine. Smotherman has traced his superstitious ball-marker habit, which involves vintage quarters, to Bob’s coin collection, which fascinated him as a kid. He has said the habit may be a tribute to his grandfather and his own hunt for a cool old coin.

For now, the win has earned Smotherman $1.08 million, Championship Series status through 2029, and a spot in next year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He also joins Matt Fitzpatrick as the only player to win in consecutive starts this season.