Father’s Day might not be for another month, but there likely won’t ever be an occasion where Brett Bowser will be more proud to be a Dad than on Thursday.
A resident of Dearborn, Bowser on Thursday will get to watch his son, Evan, tee it up as a member of the field at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky.
Recommended Videos
Even better is that Elayna Bowser, Brett’s daughter, will be Evan’s caddie.
Happy Father’s Day a month early indeed.
“This is bigger than life,” Brett Bowser said. “It’s a huge deal and to see your boy in it, is overwhelming. With my daughter on the bag, this is a dream come true for me.”
It’s also a proud moment for the Dearborn community as well.
Evan Bowser, who grew up playing at Dearborn Country Club and is now an assistant pro at LaPlaya Golf Club in Naples, Florida, is one of 21 PGA Professionals who will be in the field with the world’s greatest golfers.
Bowser qualified by finishing in a tie for eighth place at the PGA Professional Championship in Frisco, Texas earlier this month.
PGA professionals are more teaching professionals at clubs around the country who aren’t a part of professional tours such as the PGA Tour or LIV Golf, but can get invited to events through exemptions or qualifying.
A standout golfer at Oakland University who won the Horizon League championship in 2015, Bowser played professionally on PGA Tour Canada from 2017-19.
This week, he has practiced alongside greats of the game such as Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka. He will tee off for his first round at 2:41 p.m. alongside Emiliano Grillo and Alejandro Tosti.
“It is cool to be playing and practicing alongside people who play golf on TV regularly,” he said.
Elayna Bowser is also an accomplished golfer, having won the Michigan Women’s Amateur in 2019 and playing on minor professional circuits.
Whenever one has had a big tournament, the other has served as caddie in what has been a great sibling partnership.
“Elayna has been my caddie forever and that partnership helps me stay calm on the golf course,” Evan Bowser said.
Brett Bowser is a longtime member of Dearborn Country Club, and said he got Evan into the game so early that he has been playing “since he could crawl.”
Brett, Evan and Elayna are all graduates of Dearborn High School.
During a phone conversation on Wednesday, Brett said roughly 20 family members and friends from Dearborn cut video messages for Evan to wish him good luck.
The Bowsers hope that Evan can follow in the footsteps of Michael Block, a PGA professional from California who gained national fame when he made the cut at last year’s PGA Championship.
Block ended up finishing in a tie for 15th, took home more than $288,000 in prize money, and became such a fan favorite that supporters called the tournament a “Block party.”
Like the proud papa he is, Brett is one who believes his son can do something similar.
“I know talent and he’s got enough,”Brett said. “I expect him to make the cut.”