For most golfers, a new winning habit might involve changing a putter, sticking to a particular pre-shot routine, or wearing a favorite shirt during a tournament. For Ross Steelman, however, the ritual that accompanied the best season of his professional career began with something rather unexpected. It was a nail polish.

The 25-year-old American has recently secured his place on the PGA Tour for the 2027 season. It was thanks to an outstanding campaign on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Yet, alongside his impressive performances and growing reputation, Steelman has attracted attention for painting one or two fingernails. The reason behind the habit is particularly wholesome, as it started with a small favor for his girlfriend.

Speaking with Gary Williams on 5 Clubs, Steelman opened up about the unusual routine.

“Like you said, when you’re on a heater, you’re on a heater. You keep it going. And so, I’ve been painting a fingernail or two since June this year, and it’s worked and I’m sticking with it. It’ll be there until I start playing bad,” Ross Steelman revealed. “It’s a thing. I’m sticking with it. It’s worked so far.”

The story behind Steelman’s nail polish goes back to June 2026. According to an earlier interview with the Associated Press, his girlfriend had purchased a new nail polish color and wanted to see how it looked before applying it herself.

Steelman offered to help by testing the shade on one of his fingernails. What followed was an unexpected run of good results.

He finished runner-up in a tournament that week before winning The Blue Championship in Colorado in July. With those performances coming in quick succession, the golfer decided that removing the polish might not be the best idea.

The story became even more interesting a week after his victory. His girlfriend noticed that the polish on her index fingernail was chipping more frequently. Ross Steelman was initially skeptical, but decided to conduct what he described as some field testing by painting his own index fingernail.

He subsequently finished third at the Evans Scholars Invitational in Chicago. He then secured another victory the following month at the Albertsons Boise Open.

This sequence of results gave the small gesture a different meaning.

Another interesting part of the conversation involved Ross Steelman’s choice of colors.

Williams asked whether he continued wearing the same shades as his girlfriend or had started experimenting with different options now that he had developed an interest in selecting nail polish himself.

Steelman revealed that he had gradually started choosing his own colors. However, his girlfriend still plays a part in those decisions.

He explained that he generally tries to stick with the same brand. Even when purchasing a different shade while traveling, he considers whether she might like the color.

There is a practical reason behind that consideration. As Steelman explained, his girlfriend would end up using the nail polish more often than he would.

The golfer even shared a funny detail about how the habit has become part of his life on the road. Sometimes, while browsing the nail polish section at Target, a fellow player or caddie recognizes him and approaches him.

Those encounters have turned into amusing little interactions, something Steelman appears to enjoy.

Steelman’s nail polish might be an unusual addition to professional golf. But golfers developing recognizable looks around personal connections is nothing new.

One of the most famous examples is Tiger Woods and his trademark Sunday red.

Woods has previously explained that the color choice originated with his mother, Tida Woods, who believed red was his power color because he was born under Capricorn.

Rickie Fowler’s all-orange Sunday outfits also became a familiar sight during his professional career. The color had roots in his time playing junior, amateur, and college golf, particularly through his association with Oklahoma State University.

There is a clear difference between these examples and Ross Steelman’s habit.

Nevertheless, all three stories demonstrate how a golfer’s recognizable appearance can develop from something meaningful away from the course.

Ross Steelman’s breakthrough 2026 season

The American entered the year looking to improve on his previous Korn Ferry Tour performances. He had finished 56th on the season-ending points list in 2024 before moving up to 32nd in 2025. That progress eventually translated into a remarkable breakthrough in 2026.

Steelman began making significant progress during the middle of the season. He won two events and had a good finish in two more, as noted above.

His biggest breakthrough came at the Albertsons Boise Open in August.

Steelman produced a three-stroke victory after closing with a seven-under 64. His four-round total of 27-under 257 tied the 10th-lowest 72-hole score in Korn Ferry Tour history.

The victory gave him his second title of the season and mathematically secured his PGA Tour membership for 2027. He also moved to the top of the Korn Ferry Tour Points List, becoming the second player that season to be declared TOURBound.

However, Ross Steelman was far from finished.

He continued producing strong results throughout the remainder of the campaign, including a fifth-place finish at the Simmons Bank Open and a third-place finish at the Compliance Solutions Championship.

He eventually finished No. 1 on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List. He overtook fellow two-time winner Sandy Scott during the final tournament of the season.

Finishing at the top of the standings also brought additional rewards. Alongside his PGA Tour card, Steelman earned exemptions into the 2027 Players Championship and U.S. Open.

Interestingly, Ross Steelman had already made four PGA Tour appearances before securing his card. His best result came at the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he finished tied for 25th as an open qualifier.

With his first PGA Tour card secured, Steelman is preparing for an exciting transition into the next stage of his career.

His schedule also includes international appearances before the 2027 PGA Tour season gets underway.

He is set to compete at the BMW Australian PGA Championship at The Lakes Golf Club from November 26-29. He will then play at the Capital.com Australian Open at Kingston Heath from December 3-6.

The upcoming tournaments will offer another opportunity for Steelman to build momentum ahead of his first full PGA Tour season.

And if his conversation with Williams is anything to go by, there is a good chance that his familiar nail polish will accompany him.