ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – When Michael Thorbjornsen first arrived at Stanford, Patrick Rodgers was just a legendary name on the walls to chase.

Rodgers is widely considered one of the five or so best amateur players of the last two decades. He won 11 times in three years with the Cardinal, tying marks set by Tiger Woods and Maverick McNealy, while capturing every major award in 2014 and ascending to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Thorbjornsen, now 24 and nine years younger than Rodgers, did an alright job following in Rodgers’ footsteps. He, too, was a world No. 1, though he won just three times in college. Rodgers played in two Walker Cups; Thorbjornsen was denied his Walker Cup start because of a serious back injury that sidelined him for the back half of 2023. Rodgers, howeve

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