Getty Tyler Duncan of the United States plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest Golf Club on May 09, 2019 in Dallas, Texas.
After a lengthy rain delay at the 2019 AT&T Byron Nelson Open, Tyler Duncan is close to starting his third round. The 29-year old from Indiana shot a second-round 5-under-par 66 Friday to stay in a tie for second place with fellow American Matt Every.
He got the ball rolling on Day One with a 7-under par 64 before South Korea’s Sung Kang caught fire with a 10-under par 61 on Friday. Despite the strong play in Dallas this weekend, you may have heard about how Duncan accidentally hit his wife in the head with an errant shot.
Here’s what you need to know about him, starting with that miscue.
1. Duncan Accidentally Doinked His Wife Maria With a Golf Ball Friday
Men- don’t try this at home! @PGATOUR @attbyronnelson
Duncan recorded one bogey on Friday, which occurred on the par-4 13th at Trinity Forest. Most people won’t remember that. They’ll remember that the golf doinked the noggin of his wife, Maria.
According to Mike McCallister of PGATour.com, Duncan saw an approach shot drift right of the green towards spectators.
After the ball took a bounce, it hit Maria before settling 34 yards away from the pin…
“I had a little mud on the ball, little unfortunate timing there and shot out to the right,” Duncan explained.
He was unaware he had struck his wife until finishing his round.
“Took a big bounce and hit her, I guess,” Duncan said. “I didn’t know until after the round. … I’m just happy she’s not hurt, and I was with her a while ago.”
Amazingly enough, Duncan admitted that this was not his first time this has happened.
“Not long after we started dating, she actually got hit in the head by another ball, a random ball from the driving range,” Duncan said. “She’s dodged two hits to the head. I’m sure most people can’t say that.”
2. Tyler & Maria Got Married in Oct. 2017
2nd round leader Tyler Duncan’s getting married to Maria Krempp, a former college golfer herself, on October 21 in Indiana. @SafewayOpen
Tyler and Maria were wed in her hometown of Jasper, Indiana, in October of 2017, just two weeks after Duncan played his first event as a PGA TOUR member. Ted Schultz of The Republic wrote at the time that Maria Krempp had been his girlfriend for five years.
“It’s awesome,” Duncan said. “I don’t think we could have written it up any better, to get my tour card before the wedding. We got very lucky on the scheduling…”
…Duncan, who had been living in Dallas for a year-and-a-half, bought a townhome in Tampa last October, and he and Krempp plan to make that their residence.
“I don’t think (the lifestyle) will change too much,” Duncan said. “I’ll just keep doing the same things I’ve been doing. I think my game has gotten better over the past couple years, so I just keep trying to get better each day.”
As of right now, he does not have any children.
3. Duncan is a Graduate of Columbus High in Indiana
Good luck Tyler Duncan. @usopengolf Columbus North and Purdue grad
Per his PGA Tour profile, Duncan is a 2008 graduate of Columbus High in Indiana. He talked to Golf Info Guide about his earliest golf memories growing up.
His earliest golf memory involves him riding in a cart with a 3-wood, 8-iron and putter, together with his grandparents. This is how his love story with golf began.
Ahead of Duncan’s first U.S. Open in 2016, his high school head coach Doug Bieker talk about the focus his player had to develop into a pro.
“I think playing in the U.S. Open has been a goal of his for a long time, even before high school,” Bieker said. “He has worked out a plan to get where he is, and he has not let anything deter him from that plan.”
According to The Republic, Bieker was Duncan’s caddy at the beginning of his time in the pros when the then 25-year old was on the Web.com Tour. In the same article, Duncan is listed as the 2007 Indiana High School Boys State Champion.
4. He Earned a Scholarship to Play at Purdue in College
M. Golf. Purdue’s Tyler Duncan Named Big Ten Golfer of the Week: Sophomore Tyler Duncan led Purdue to a sixth-plac… http://bit.ly/c3x8nS
After his high school success, Duncan earned a scholarship to play for in-state Purdue. In his freshman year, he averaged the best stroke average on the team with a 73.6 over just nine tournaments. By his junior season in 2010-11, he earned a place in the Arizona Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Per his Purdue bio, as a senior he:
A PING All-Midwest Regional selection.
Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors…
…The only Boilermaker to play in all 12 tournaments on the season.
…Notched six top-10 finishes, including four top-five showings…
…Opened the season with a tie for third at the Turning Stone Tiger Intercollegiate, and also shared third place a week later at the Northern Intercollegiate…
…Best finish of the season came at the Jack Nicklaus Invitational in the season’s third week with a second-place tie.
Tied for eighth at the Bridgestone Golf Collegiate to wrap up the fall, and opened the spring with a tie for seventh at the Puerto Rico Classic.
5. He Has Earned Over $1.5 Million Since Turning Pro in 2014
SPORTS: Checking in with North graduate Tyler Duncan at the U.S. Open http://t.co/VXDJrDzHkT #ColumbusIN http://t.co/M9VMaXIFDl
He graduated from Purdue in 2012 with a major in management. He turned pro soon after, but didn’t earn a chance on the Web.com Tour until 2014 when he finished in a tie for 68th at the Air Capital Classic presented by Aetna. He punched his ticket to the PGA Tour in Dec. 2014 when he tied for 16th at the Web.com Tour Q-School.
In 2015, he clinched a bid to the U.S. Open, but failed to make the cut. By the next time he played the U.S. Open in 2018, his attitude had changed, according to his old Purdue coach Devon Brouse.
“The last time, he was on cloud nine playing in the U.S. Open trying not to embarrass himself probably,” Brouse said to Journal & Courier. “His family was with him, his friends, it was a big deal.
“And now, his thoughts are different. It’s not just to show up and not embarrass yourself. It’s to show up and try to make a nice, big fat check and you have to make the cut to do that.”
He finished in a tie for 56th at his second U.S. Open. He has not played in any other majors.
Right now, he’s on the edge of heading back to the Web.com Tour as he ranks No. 184 in the FedEx rankings. With that said, he’s earned $1,521,800 between the PGA, Web.com and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.