Bryan’s Taco Bell belt stands out at FedEx St. Jude Classic
As major winners charged up the leaderboard in front of the biggest galleries Thursday morning at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, Wesley Bryan stood on the 16th tee at TPC Southwind wearing a belt lined with tacos.
Just three spectators watched from behind the ropes, including one man who made the 75-mile drive from Corinth, Miss., to follow a golfer ranked No. 121 in the world.
“He’s always giving away the Taco Bell balls,” Joshua Hudson explained.
Bryan was among 11 golfers tied for second place at 4-under par 66 after the first round of the Memphis area’s PGA Tour event, one shot behind leader Seamus Power.
Two of the biggest stars in the field (Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka), as well as a former FedEx St. Jude Classic champion (Fabian Gomez, 2015), were among those also tied for second.
But only Bryan has a sponsorship deal with Taco Bell.
It came about in the middle of last season, once Bryan won his first career PGA Tour event at the RBC Heritage in April 2017.
During his days on the Web.com Tour, he always celebrated victories with a visit to Taco Bell. It only made sense then that he would do it again after
Wesley Bryan
earning a $1.7 million check. The subsequent selfie Bryan and his wife took after visiting a Taco Bell near his Augusta, Ga., home went viral. The fast food chain noticed. Soon enough, Bryan was wearing a belt with mini tacos and “Taco Bell” near the buckle out on the course. He also received golf balls emblazoned with company’s logo and began handing them out to fans at events.
“I’m a Taco Bell enthusiast and now I’ve just got it around the belt,” Bryan said. “Hopefully the waistline is not going to grow.”
Bryan first enjoyed notoriety in the golfing world because of a series of trick shot videos he and his brother,
George Bryan IV, began posting to YouTube four years ago. Last month, for instance, Wesley Bryan completed shots using a soccer ball at The Players Championship.
The 28-year-old pulled off another unlikely golf feat by accident on the par-4 13th at TPC Southwind. He initially wanted to use an 8-iron from 169 yards out before his caddie convinced him to go with a 7-iron. The subsequent shot rolled into the cup for a rare eagle.
“We kind of high-fived and he said, ‘By the way, let me continue to pick your clubs today,’” Bryan said with a smile.
But Thursday’s opening-round action featured more fireworks than that.
In the morning, most of the fans at TPC Southwind followed around two marquee groups.
The first featured Koepka, the defending U.S. Open champion, and top-15 golfer Henrik Stenson, making just his third appearance at the FedEx St. Jude Classic. Koepka birdied four straight holes at one point and had the lead before a bogey on his third-to-last hole.
Behind him was Mickelson, who had an adventurous start before recovering late.
Beginning his round from the back nine, Mickelson nearly hit into the water at No. 12 and the man known as “Lefty” to fans contemplated hitting his second shot right-handed due to where the ball sat on the rough.
“It was a little too early in the tournament to be putting up a potential big number,” Mickelson said. “However, if the pin were in the back, which is where I thought the ball would end up, I probably would have tried it.”
Then, on the par-5 16th, Mickelson almost hit the grandstand with his approach shot and had to consult a PGA Tour rule’s official when the ball landed on an irregular-shaped piece of sod.
On both holes, however, Mickelson managed to save par.
Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked golfer in the field, went one step further in the afternoon.
Faced with a shot near the water on No. 12, he hiked up his pant leg, removed his right shoe and sock and stepped into the pond surrounding the green. He then connected on a 40-foot chip for birdie and finished the round at 3-under. PGA Tour rookie Brandon Harkins wasn’t as lucky.
After starting his round with four straight birdies, his tee shot at No. 12 landed in the water en route to a double bogey. But he recovered to finish at 4under and join the logjam in second place trailing Power, a 31-year-old Irishman who attended East Tennessee State University.
As for Bryan, he already knew where to go if his encouraging first round turns into something more as the tournament progresses.
Asked if he had picked out a Taco Bell here in the Memphis area, he nodded affirmatively.
“I know where they’re at at all times,” Bryan said. “I make sure I keep one close to where we pick our hotel.”