Witnesses to History: Remember David Gossett?

The turn of the 21st century was modern golf’s halcyon days. The Second Coming had arrived, his name was Tiger, and he was in full flight. The design, artistry, and function of golf clubs reached dizzying heights with the release of the Titleist 975 line in 1998, and the Pro-V1 would soon follow. An 18-hole resort in Oregon called Bandon Dunes opened its doors in May 1999, changing golf travel forever. And a little farther south of Bandon, a gifted 20-year-old amateur named David Gossett would win the U.S. Amateur championship at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links.

One could argue the ’99 U.S. Amateur was the peak of Gossett’s golf career, but let’s take a moment to reflect on how he got there and what has happened since that fateful victory.

Growing up on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee, it was evident from an early age that Gossett had a gift for golf. He won prestigious national tournaments and was the 1997 AJGA Player of the Year. After a decorated junior golf career, Gossett enjoyed success at the University of Texas, where he was a two-time All-America selection and a Big XII conference champion.

Then came the magical summer of 1999, when Gossett would become the U.S. Amateur champion. He was selected to play in the 1999 Walker Cup, held at Nairn Golf Club in Scotland, anchoring the team in Sunday singles, where he fell to longtime British amateur Gary Wolstenholme 1-up.

By winning the U.S. Amateur, Gossett earned a spot in the 2000 Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship, provided he remained an amateur. Thank God he did because it was quite a ride.

At Augusta Gossett was paired with defending 1999 champion José María Olazábal for his first two rounds. He would go on to win low-amateur honors that year, and played his final round with the greatest champion Augusta has ever known, Jack Nicklaus.

A few months later in June, Gossett’s exemption into the U.S. Open put him right back at Pebble Beach for the 2000 U.S. Open. Everyone remembers that U.S. Open because Tiger won by 15 shots.

Gossett was supposed to be paired with defending champion Payne Stewart, but he tragically passed in October. Instead, he played alongside Nicklaus for his opening two rounds, historically important because the 2000 U.S. Open was Jack’s last dance. The two of them both shot 155 and missed the cut, but Gossett was there as Nicklaus tearfully bid farewell to playing in the national championship. It was the 44th time that he played in the U.S. Open.

July came and so did the Open Championship at St Andrews. Gossett was paired with defending Champion Golfer of the Year, Paul Lawrie, and a man in the middle of making more golf history:Tiger Woods. Tiger went on to win by eight shots and was halfway to the Tiger Slam.

Gossett’s summer of 2000 was the stuff of legend. He had a front-row seat to history in the making. At this point of his life, if Gossett had decided to never touch a golf club again and walk away, he’d have led a ridiculous golf life by any measure. He kept playing, of course.

After the 2000 Open Championship, Gossett turned pro. He didn’t make a cut for the rest of the 2000 season and faced the six-round-long gauntlet of PGA TOUR Q-School. Gossett would make headlines by shooting a 59 in Q-School that year but it wasn’t enough. He would need to make his way in the 2001 season on the Korn Ferry Tour, Monday qualifying, or depending on hard-to-get sponsor exemptions. Enter the good people at the John Deere Classic—affectionately known as “golf’s fifth major”—who granted Gossett a sponsor’s exemption.

Originally known as the Quad Cities Open, the John Deere Classic typically falls right around the Open Championship, which means many of the TOUR’s top players sit the event. This has created ample opportunity for many of the TOUR’s younger crop of players to break through and establish themselves as first-time winners. (See: Payne Stewart in 1982; David Toms, 1997; Jordan Spieth, 2013; Bryson DeChambeau 2017.)

Gossett navigated the course in four rounds of 67-64-68-66 for a total of 265, one shot better than Briny Baird. The victory was good for $508,000, the biggest check of Gossett’s golf career, and one of the great trophies in all of sport.

Gossett would play on the PGA TOUR on and off before leaving full-time professional golf in 2015. Today, Gossett is a family man who works in commercial real estate in Nashville and still enjoys playing the game socially.

His career earnings and statistics don’t really matter. David Gossett’s golf career was nothing short of glorious. Never let anyone tell you differently.

I hope you enjoy watching the John Deere Classic this weekend. And don’t forget to raise a glass for the uniquely great career of David Gossett.