Luke Guthrie in midst of a season-long resurgence

Luke Guthrie knows his life is about to change dramatically.

But he can’t wait for that change to take place.

Guthrie and his wife Kaitlyn announced on social media – after Guthrie had played in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach earlier this year – they were expecting their first child.

“We’re fired up for the next phase in life,” says Guthrie, who admits they won’t find out the sex of the baby until the day-of, later this fall. The couple is also moving to a bigger home in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, to accommodate the growing family.

Buoyed by the support of his wife, Guthrie is also in the midst of a yearlong resurgence on the golf course. These days, things both away from the game and in golf itself are going well.

Guthrie, a former star at the University of Illinois, has missed only one cut since May and sits 54th on the season-long points race on the Korn Ferry Tour. Prior to qualifying for his third U.S. Open in June he finished T-4 (at the Evans Scholars Invitational) and 6th at the REX Hospital Open.

Those were his best Korn Ferry Tour results since a runner-up, two years ago.

The support from Kaitlyn, he says, got him through some tough times on the golf course – last year he was 101st on the money list – and rejuvenated his approach for 2019.

“You’re just frustrated because you chose (golf) as a living and you’re not going very good,” Guthrie admits. “But now I’ve got a renewed sense it could be a day to turn around. The building blocks are starting to take shape.”

Guthrie says he entered this year with a lot of uncertainty after not getting a few starts early in the year, given his status on Tour and how he finished at Q-School (he was T-64). He missed the first two cuts of his year but got into the Nashville Golf Open benefitting the Snedeker Foundation and made the cut, before finishing T-6 the next week at the KC Golf Classic.

“My confidence is high. Better than the last little while,” says Guthrie of where he’s at mentally now, with the Regular Season coming down to the last three tournaments. This week the Korn Ferry Tour is in Omaha, Nebraska for the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Chevrolet.

“We’re back in the Midwest, and I’m comfortable since I grew up here. Just trying to get the putter hot and have the hole look big again. I’m trying to build and get the momentum of a week going.”

The momentum, Guthrie says, will hopefully come from his good play.

But in the past he’s been spurred on by his tight support system, which includes his brother Zach (a great player in his own right, a PGA TOUR caddie, and formerly the assistant men’s golf coach at the University of Illinois, the brothers’ alma mater), his parents, who supported him always through his junior golf days, and now Kaitlyn and his ever-growing family.

“For the last 3.5 years we travelled (together) almost every week. She caddied last year. Pro golf can be pretty lonely but with her travelling and being a caddie not only was it not lonely, but she made it fun,” says Guthrie.

While Guthrie continues to have a laser-like focus on his results with the Regular Season on the Korn Ferry Tour coming down to its final stretch, he also is eager to take on the next phase of his life. A couple of his good friends have had babies and he became an uncle earlier this year. He’s watched from afar as little additions have been made to close families, but now it’s his turn.

And he’s hoping this next phase of life includes a PGA TOUR card, too.