A rookie came to The Players without a spot in the field. Then a shock phone call set up a potentially life-changing payday

It was roughly 7 a.m. on Thursday when Danny Walker, in a restroom of the TPC Sawgrass locker rooms, felt his phone begin to buzz.

It was roughly 7 a.m. on Thursday when Danny Walker, in a restroom of the TPC Sawgrass locker rooms, felt his phone begin to buzz. The call itself lasted a little more than a few minutes, but its impact for the PGA Tour rookie has already been nothing short of life-changing – and could get even better. A last minute withdrawal from former world No. 1 Jason Day saw Walker parachuted into The Players Championship, where the Florida native has since proceeded to outperform a multitude of the game’s biggest stars. Listed as first alternate for the 51st edition of the PGA Tour’s flagship event, the 29-year-old had made the short trip from his home in Jacksonville to Ponte Vedra Beach knowing that he’d be in the field only if a player pulled out. Having watched the action from behind the ropes last year, childhood dreams of a tournament debut looked set to be delayed by at least another 12 months when the call he never anticipated informed Walker that 2015 PGA Championship winner Day had withdrawn due to illness. The news was the type of surprise that necessitated a few moments of solitude.