Cody Proveaux makes return to competitive golf with brother, Caleb, by his side

The first time Caleb Proveaux topped his older brother, Cody, at golf was when he was in the fifth grade. Caleb practiced with the high school team then, and he shot even-par 36 at one of the high school practices, beating the entire team.

“I usually never let Cody live that down,” Caleb said with a smile.

“I don’t think that ever happened. I think he made that up,” Cody replied with a laugh.

The brothers Proveaux will continue their golfing adventures together this week at the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation, as they both earned their way into the field this week in Nashville in a unique way.

Caleb, 24, has conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and has teed it up five times so far in 2022, missing four cuts. He headed to the Monday qualifier to try to guarantee himself a spot in the field. Cody, 28, just left his job as the assistant men’s golf coach at Middle Tennessee State University last week. After a celebrated career as a youngster (he was once the No. 1 junior in the country, and was 2011 AJGA Rolex Player of the Year) he’s going to make a go of playing professionally. This week’s Monday qualifier was his first event back in the mix.

The brothers matched 7-under 65s at the Old Fort Golf Course (each recorded one eagle, six birdies and a bogey) and ended up in a 5-for-2 playoff. Cody hit it to 6 inches on the first playoff hole and Caleb fell just short.

“I saw Cody tee off in the morning and I saw he was leading the first wave with one other guy, so I was thinking, ‘If I shot 7 under, I should be in the clear without a playoff.’ But for some reason, everyone in the afternoon decided to play well,” said Caleb with a laugh.

Caleb, however, ended up moving into the first alternate position for the tournament by the time he got home from the Monday qualifier playoff. He received his spot in the field on Tuesday afternoon.

Cody’s last Korn Ferry Tour start came at the 2018 Visit Knoxville Open. Preparing to return to competition, he said golf “is like riding a bike.”

“I really had a lot of built-up nerves and emotions, and I was just trying to get myself to go out there and have fun and get back into having those competitive juices flowing,” said Cody. “I birdied the first two (on Monday) and thought, ‘Well, let’s keep it going.’”

Cody got to 7 under with three holes to play but said he missed a few good opportunities coming home, including a 6-foot birdie try on the final hole of the Monday qualifier. He was hoping, when they got in the playoff, that his brother would get through as well. It was not to be on this day, but Caleb still managed to get into the field – which was all Cody could ask for.

The brothers say the last time they were in the same field of an event would have been an amateur tournament at home in South Carolina when Cody was in college and Caleb was a senior in high school.

The elder Proveaux said this has already been the kind of week where they “can’t answer all the text messages” from family and friends because there are so many notes.

“They all kind of run together,” said Cody. “But everyone is super supportive and everyone is cheering for both of us to play well. Caleb has been doing it a little longer this year and I’m trying to get back into it now, so everyone is happy we’re both in the field and hoping we have a good week.”

Caleb, whose best finish this season is a tie for 39th at the Astara Golf Championship presented by Mastercard, said he’s “definitely hoping” something starts clicking this week. He hit it well last week at the Huntsville Championship, he said, but putted poorly. That’s been the story of his year so far, he said. But at the Monday qualifier, he was hitting it and putting it well and is hoping that’s a sign of good things to come.

Cody, meanwhile, spent the last two years at Middle Tennessee. He coached at Virginia Commonwealth University for the two years prior.

He made the decision to return to playing professionally a month ago and finished out the season with Middle Tennessee. Recently he has found himself telling people he has become a better golfer without touching a club, thanks to seeing things and visualizing shots for others.

“I told my boss, told all the players (and) they were all super excited for me. I play a lot of golf with them,” said Cody of his new journey. “They know I have the ability to do it; I just have to put one foot in front of the other and get after it.”

The first step will come this week, with his brother by his side.