When Rob Oppenheim tees off for the first official Korn Ferry Tour event in Nassau, Bahamas on Sunday, Jan. 12, he will turn 45 years old.
If that sounds old, stilling going at it on the PGA Tour’s version “Triple-A,” well, it is, considering about 75 percent of his Korn Ferry Tour competitors are in their 20s.
Age is just a number as Oppenheim still has hopes of eventually finding his way to the PGA Tour. Again.
Despite a not-so-great ending to 2024 season – lingering shoulder and elbow issues – he is ready, he hopes, to make that jump.
“I still love doing it,” said Oppenheim, who resides in Winter Park, Fla. with his wife and two children. “I have seen guys my age before at this level, checked out a bit.
“I love to compete,” he added. “And I still love going to range or practice green to work on my game. When that stops, the passion of trying to get better, then it’s probably time.”
Oppenheim showed glimmers of greatness early in 2024, losing in a playoff back in early April. Instead of the beginning of a special season, his shoulder (surgically repaired) and elbow started acting up.
He missed way more cuts than he was accustomed to on the Korn Ferry and as the season neared its end he reluctantly decided to forego the PGA Tour Qualifying school events.
He had full status for the Korn Ferry in 2025, opting to shut it down and get healthy again.
A month after his season, Oppenheim played in the Pebble Beach TaylorMade Invitational in late November, finishing 29th, before returning home again for some R&R before this upcoming season.
Oppenheim said the real star of his family is wife, Lacey, who manages things while her husband is on the road. His parents who split time between Andover and central Florida, are also a big help.
In some ways it was easier being away when his daughter and son were younger. School activities and sports are at the forefront of their young lives.
“[Lacey] has been amazing,” said Oppenheim. “Not one part of her says, ‘What are we doing here?’ She’s as much invested as I am. We have a good friend network. It’s really the only life we know.”
Oppenheim will be on the road for a month in the Bahamas for two weeks, followed by events in Panama and Colombia. Then home for two weeks before heading to Argentina and Chile.
“The toughest part of our schedule is the beginning, just being so far away from family for so long,” said Oppenheim.
Speaking of tough, the number of PGA Tour spots from the Korn Ferry points list for next year has dropped from 30 to 20.
That basically means Oppenheim would have to win at least one tournament this upcoming, maybe even two, to secure one of those PGA Tour Cards for 2026.
“Nothing is easy in this sport,” said Oppenheim. “The players on this tour are getting younger and more athletic. It’s funny, I think Tommy Gainey and myself were the only guys over 40 playing in the [Korn Ferry] Tour Championship.
“I probably had more close friends — four or five — in the Champions Tour Q-school,” he said, “than I did the PGA Tour Q-school.”
In fact, there is one positive to adding another year to his ledger. He is now five years away from potentially playing on Champions Tour, where the top 48 players last year made over $500,000.
“Who knows,” said Oppenheim. “As long as I am still competing with the best and am enjoying myself, I hope to continue playing. Right now I feel good about my game and my health. It’s time to play.”
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.