The third-round pairing of Sergio Garcia and Austin Connelly at the European Tour’s Italian Open sent Connelly’s mother, Bridget, sifting through the photo album.
The 21-year-old Connelly is just embarking on his pro career, notching an early highlight with a T-14 finish at The Open this summer after earning a spot through final qualifying. This week he drew a tee time with the reigning Masters champ following rounds of 68-65 at the Golf Club of Milano.
That led his mother to tweet out a throwback photo from 1999, when Connelly was a toddler and posed on the course with Garcia, who was just starting his own pro career:
18 years later… @Austinconnelly9 is paired with Sergio at The Italian Open. @TaylorMadeGolf @TRAVISMATHEW @clubcorp pic.twitter.com/2wBbGYdtKe
— Bridget Connelly (@AconMom) October 13, 2017
The duo struck a pose on Saturday as well.
1999: A kid and his idol
2017: Playing partners #ItalianOpen pic.twitter.com/aCuQEUDrpq— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 14, 2017
Garcia, now 37 years old, offered this response:
This picture was only taken 5 years ago, not! Time flies! Wow!! https://t.co/oqSCMZb8xq
— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) October 14, 2017
Garcia and Connelly both began the third round at 9-under 133, four shots behind co-leaders Matt Wallace and Marcus Fraser.
Source: Internet