CHARLOTTE, NC. The PGA Championship provides an annual opportunity for twenty club professionals in the championship field. The players earn their position through a top finish in the PGA Professional Championship.
Jesse Droemer is in the field for the second time. His story epitomizes personal resilience.
Amazingly, the Texan battled back to competitive form after dealing with a broken tailbone that took place in 2020. He also learned to golf at 13-years-old after a horrific ankle-break that would not allow him to play contact sports. He even had the cast on when he started hitting golf balls.
The intersection of elite tour level player and those at the club level is the underlying connection within professional golf and manifested through the annual playing of the PGA Championship.
The Droemer Profile
•Age: 33
•Birthdate: July 16, 1991
•Birthplace: Houston, Texas
•Hometown: Houston, Texas
•College: University of Houston
•PGA Section: Southern Texas
•PGA Membership: 2016
•PGA Championship App: 2nd
•Facility: Riverbend Country Club, Sugar Land, Texas
• Runner-up finish in the 2025 PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club, his fourth PPC appearance… Finished T-11 in the 2023 PPC to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team in the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, his first PGA Championship appearance.
• Winner, 2023 Southern Texas PGA Player of the Year.
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You will be playing in your second PGA Championship, what does it mean to you to be in the field this week at Quail Hollow?
It means the world to me to have the opportunity to play in my second PGA Championship as a part of the Corebridge Financial Team.
To be able to represent the 30,000 PGA Members and Associates as well as the membership at Riverbend Country Club is an absolute honor.
Prioritizing time as you get ready to compete will be a central issue — what have you learned from playing in the PGA Championship previously?
I’ve learned the days seem to fly by extremely fast and to be able to prepare but also maintain rest and recovery is a huge challenge.
Through experience you are able to learn certain things and adapt to be able to maximize performance.
The PGA of America allocates twenty spots exclusively for club professionals to play in the PGA Championship. A number of people have questioned why so many are permitted to play in a major championship event. What’s your take?
I respect and agree with the PGA’s decision to allow twenty PGA Professionals to represent the organization in the second major of the year. It’s also a great way to keep a strong relationship between the PGA Tour and the PGA of America.
How do you find the time to remain competitive given the various responsibilities in being involved with the daily activities associated with a club?
To remain competitive against the best players in the world on one of the most challenging golf courses in the United States is an extreme battle. I spend 40+ hours a week serving the membership at Riverbend Country Club helping them enjoy the game of golf more.
So, I make time every day to invest in my game and keep things sharp if it means getting to the course at sunrise or staying until it’s dark. I do what I have to do because I love to compete.
You played on the golf team at the University of Houston. What’s the main separator between playing collegiately and at the elite pro golf level?
In my opinion the greatest separator between college golf and elite level professional golf is the maturity and mindset. In college a player is attending a full class schedule, study hall, homework, etc. Their mindset is of a college student.
Once they graduate, they will have 30-40 additional hours per week to invest into their golf game and 100% of the schedule is devoted to golf. The mindset then is of a professional.
When growing up who were your golf idols on the PGA Tour?
I’m a Texas guy and an old soul so my idols growing up were Ben Hogan and Lee Trevino.
If you had a bucket list place to play and a foursome to be with you there what would be the venue and who would the other three players be?
My all-time favorite course is Cypress Point Club and I’d love to play there with Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Moe Norman.
You can change one thing in golf unilaterally – what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing in golf it would be a player would be allowed to use as many clubs as a player would like. I’ve never understood why 14. Why not 15?
Best advice you ever received – what was it and who was it from?
Mental coach and PGA member Peter Buentello told me. “It’s never too late to become what you might’ve been” and “you never know who you can be tomorrow if you start today.”
Besides your golf skills – what’s one other non-golf thing you enjoy doing?
Besides golf, my hobbies and interests are skating, coffee, and playing the drums.
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For more info on the 2025 PGA Championship go to:
