Elation, Three Hours at Subway and Dad Carries the Bag: An Oral History of Cole Rueck's Path to the Scottish Open
By Nate Lowery
Cole Rueck lived what many golfers dream of, but few achieve: playing in a PGA Tour event. Rueck, who had just concluded his sophomore season with the Boise State men’s golf team, made his debut at the 2024 Scottish Open where he was the only amateur and collegian in a 150-player field.
A chance appearance at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase in February led to a thrilling victory at one of golf’s hallowed grounds to earn an exemption into the event. From there, Rueck went on to win the Mountain West title, make a trip to Scotland and share an experience the Rueck family will carry forever.
The journey began thanks to a late opportunity for Boise State head coach David Trainor to send one golfer to the Genesis Collegiate Showcase – a decade-old event held the week of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club. Trainor would be able to send one golfer to the event along with three supporters of the program, and for the first time in the event’s history the winner would receive an exemption to the Scottish Open – a premier event on the PGA Tour that is also sponsored by Genesis.
Trainor: “In mid-November the tournament director for the Genesis called and asked if Boise State was still interested, and I immediately said absolutely. The rankings from the fall came out a week later – when I tried to get us into this I said our highest ranked player was going to go – the rankings came out and Cole was the highest ranked player and got the exemption into the event.”
Cole: “I remember being at a team meeting before going home for Thanksgiving. Coach brought up at the end of this tournament I had never heard of it. In my head I thought I had the best scoring average, and then he said ‘Cole Rueck you’re going.’ I drove back home (to Corvallis) and I wanted to look up everything about (the tournament) and learn what I could. I knew so much about Riviera just watching the tournament every year and knowing how much every pro loves it. It was a fun few months to look forward to.”
Scott Rueck, Cole’s Father and Head Women’s Basketball coach at Oregon State: “We're just so grateful to coach Trainor and Boise State for supporting Cole. If it wasn’t for the Genesis and Trainor’s knowledge and ability to get a group into that even this wouldn't have happened.”
Cole, Trainor and a trio of Boise State’s donors – Carey McNeal, Ron Van Auker Jr. and John Jackson -- traveled to Riviera Country Club – a course consistently ranked in the top 20 in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest American Courses. Cole drew one of the first tee times and would open the tournament in the dark, and on Riviera’s No. 10 – a hole that is at the forefront of many golfers’ minds.
Teeing off under the lights, Rueck made the decision not to lay-up short of the green on the par-4 – a change in heart thanks to insight from Trainor’s experience at the course as an assistant with Kentucky, and due to a speech from the previous day’s luncheon speaker, Michael Block. The decision paid off as Cole overcame the miniscule green for birdie.
The birdie would prove pivotal as Cole was even through six holes. Joining Cole on his final nine holes was Michael Greller, the caddie for Jordan Spieth – far and away Cole’s favorite player – and a longtime friend of the Rueck family dating back to when Scott was the head women’s basketball coach while Michael’s sister was on the team.
Cole finished at even par which put him in tight contention with Washington’s Peter Ruby.
Trainor: “Once he settled in, he played a rock-solid round of golf. He finished on the ninth hole and asked me, ‘Has anyone posted under-par yet?’ – because at that point he was 1-under. I told him no one has posted under yet.”
Cole: “I shot even which I was really happy about coming down the stretch. I had looked up past leaderboards and typically even (par) and a couple under(-par) won, so I knew being 1-under, I was in a good spot coming down the end.”
Greller: “Scott texted me Sunday morning and said he wanted me to caddy for Cole on Monday.. I got there and he was on this huge hill left of the green on 18 which is one of the toughest spots to be in on the PGA Tour. He chipped it in for par. It was surreal watching Cole out there. I've known him since he was born and known his parents for almost 30 years. Seeing this little kid that I've kind of followed from as far as his golf journey, to see him at Riviera, which is one of the hardest courses on the PGA Tour. To see him shoot even par out there was wildly impressive.”
Trainor: “(Ruby) had about a six-footer on the ninth hole to beat Cole. He missed it and we went into a playoff down No. 10. At that point I want him to get this exemption. But number two, I was more excited for him because he got to play bonus golf at Riviera. It’s not something you get to say.”
Cole: “I knew what the stakes were, but I didn’t feel like I let my mind get to them. It didn’t affect me like I thought it might. I was just out there playing golf.”
Cole’s putt on No. 10 in the first hole of the playoff went past the hole. He was done. Deflated. It was over. He had come close to the Scottish Open and missed it.
But Ruby would again miss a putt from feet away and both golfers went to a second playoff hole, a par-5. Both hit good tee shots, but Ruby wound up in a greenside bunker on the approach. All that stood between Cole and a berth in the Scottish Open was an eight-foot putt.
He sunk it. The Boise State contingent, including his parents – Scott made the trip in the middle of his season as Oregon State’s head women’s basketball coach – burst into emotion. On a video shared by the tournament, Scott can be seen accidentally throwing his phone in elation, while Cole’s mother, Kerry drops to her knees.
Cole: “Walking down the fairway up to that ball, it got in my mind a bit that I was close to playing in a PGA Tour event and I had to keep reminding myself to not think about that. I had eight feet to win. I made it and it was pretty incredible after that. The rest of the day was surreal.”
Kerry Rueck, Cole’s Mother: It was a mix of emotions. Just pure happiness for him and also very emotional because of the journey that one goes through as a golf parent and knowing
what he's gone through. He’s been doing this for a very long time. There's been a lot of tournaments that haven't ended that way, you know, so for it to culminate in the Scottish Open of all things was special.
This week, our #GensisInvitational Colleigate Showcase champion, Cole Rueck, tees it up at the Gensis @ScottishOpen. Hear Cole talk about that winning round from this past February at Riviera. pic.twitter.com/D8vIRgCSh5
— The Genesis Invitational (@thegenesisinv) July 8, 2024
Trainor: “Cole is fist-pumping. A million-dollar smile and super proud of himself. I think it hit him immediately what he had just done. From there you couldn’t get the grin off his face for the rest of the day.”
Greller: “I think I was definitely more nervous than he was. It was fun for me to be a fan of the game. Just to be a fan of Cole's and really his whole family, just to watch them celebrate was certainly very special as a fan of the game.”
Scott: “It was one of the best days of my life. I've just watched him for so long and I know how much it all matters to him and how hard he's worked and how much he cares. And then to see, you know, one of your kids realized a dream and got to be there to witness it was, you know, beyond words.”
Cole: “I remember seeing that putt go in, raising my arms, hugging coach, hugging my parents…it was just disbelief that I had won it and would be playing in Scotland later that year.”
After his win, Greller took Cole into the locker room as more professionals began to arrive for the Genesis. Posing for photos with his trophy, knowing he’d be joining his heroes in Scotland in a matter of five months, the smile could not be taken off his face.
Greller: “He was very comfortable talking to those guys. Cole’s a very good listener – when someone talks, he listens very intently. Being in there was second nature to him. He looks and acts the part of an established golfer.”
Trainor: “It got to the point where I had to pull him away to go to the airport – we had a flight to catch.”
A massive confidence boost came to Cole over the remainder of the season. His season average of 71.61 stands as the ninth-lowest in program history for a single season, and he had 18 rounds at par or better – also ninth in a single season. He earned co-medalist honors at the Battle for Idaho and responded from a 1-over 72 in the first round of the Mountain West Championships to come back and win – Boise State’s first individual conference champion since Brian Humphreys in 2017.
Cole’s victory at Mountain West came in unique fashion. The Broncos were the first group off the course in the day. Entering the clubhouse at seven-under and tied for second, he was in a waiting game just hoping to finish in the top five. Needing to stay close to the course, Boise State’s contingent went down the street to Subway to escape the rain, eat and follow the live scoring – they constantly refreshed GolfStat hoping for bogeys from the following groups, cheering every time a square was added to the scorecard.
They would end up waiting close to three hours, culminating with a trip back to the course to prepare Cole for a potential playoff to decide the Mountain West champion. San Diego State’s Shea Lague missed his birdie putt from feet away on No. 18. Cole was the champion. No playoff was needed.
The celebration was again short-lived – there was a flight to catch.
Trainor: “Nobody made a charge and the leader had fallen back, so it let the field back into it. We hit refresh and I asked him when he wanted to head back to start warming up, because it looked like we were heading to a playoff. We set a time, went back, he hit some putts and went to the range. We didn’t go up to the green and stayed back on the putting green. Whether he hit a good putt or not I’m not sure, but it lipped out and Cole was champion.”
Cole: “I had never experienced anything like it. But from that point on it was really crazy because it was all out of my control. When I got in the (other) leaders were only through six holes and I’m 1-behind. We figured we had three more hours so we went to the Subway around the road and got some food. That was a lot of fun just sitting there in Subway. We were hugging on the putting green, my parents and sister were there and they came running up. It didn’t have the same stakes of a PGA Tour event being on the line, but being your conference champion is really special.”
Scott: “I was late getting back down there because of work. I saw he was still on a birdie streak. I said I’m not going out there until I see a bogey show up – you don’t want to mess with thing when things were rolling. It was a massive celebration and it was just so cool to see the whole team rally together and celebrate.”
Kerry: Any golf parent would know the role of watching over the phone. Once it was ‘okay this can happen,’ I grabbed out 12-year old (Macy) and flew down there to the Subway. It was really cool for her to be there too and give him the first hug.
Trainor: “It got to the point where we were going to have to go to the airport and fast. We decided if this guy makes the putt, (assistant coach Joe Panzeri) was going to take the rest of the guys to the airport while we go to the playoff -- whether it was to drive home that night or fly out the next morning. It didn’t happen. It was great, celebrate real quick, do a quick interview, get your trophy, and then we’re gone.”
A Mountain West champion, Cole went to the NCAA Regional at Stanford where he finished in the top 30. His collegiate season over, all focus shifted toward the Scottish Open later that summer, July 12-14. Cole would have a caddy available to him for the tournament.
Trainor had caddied for him at the Genesis Collegiate Showcase, but Cole knew he wanted Scott to carry the bag for him. He broached the topic to his dad in May one evening in the Rueck living room, with Trainor’s blessing.
Scott took the honor as an assignment, and prepped for carrying the bag as only a coach could.
Trainor: When Cole told me he wanted his dad to caddie for him, I was over the moon. That is special. That is his first tour event and his dad is on the bag. It doesn’t get any better. As a father of two boys, I can not imagine without going through it, the pride that his dad had carrying his bag and walking the fairways with his son.
Cole: I knew pretty early on that I wanted to have him caddy just because of how cool that would be. He’s a coach and he knows golf really well. He put a lot of effort into being prepared.
Scott: I thought he was crazy. I’m not a caddy, I'm a basketball coach. I asked him if he was sure, I thought he needed somebody better than me. But you know, for a father to get to be their son’s caddy on the tour…beyond the dream in my estimation.
Kerry: “The first thing I did was just look at Scott. And he was just speechless right away. But I knew that it meant a lot to him. That just little smile started creeping up on his face. It was cool getting to watch them really partner and strategize together. Scott worked really hard at studying the course, talking to another caddy friend who's been on the tour for 12 years of what he needed to know and what he should be doing. He took it very seriously – the last thing he wanted to do was let Cole down. It was really special for our whole family to get to take part in that.”
Greller: “Seeing Scott in a totally different role as his caddy, I was kind of geeking out at that. He put on his caddy hat and he was a natural. I told Scott if he's looking for a retirement job in 10 years, he should try to be a caddy, because he had all the skills.”
Scott: “If I’m going to do something, I’m going to try as hard as I can, especially for my son.”
If I’m going to do something, I’m going to try as hard as I can, especially for my son.Scott Rueck
The Rueck clan departed for Scotland in early July a week prior to the start of the Open. The Rueck family left on July 3rd to take in as much golf as they could and adjust to the time change, with Trainor flying in several days later. Cole and his family arrived at 11 a.m. on July 4th – by 2 p.m., they were at the course.
Scott and Cole would play at Dunbar, Gullane, North Berwick and Kingsbarns – some of Scotland’s iconic courses in the week prior to the Scottish Open. The first practice round they had the Renaissance Club to themselves as most of the field was still playing in the John Deere Classic. When the PGA Tour professionals arrived, Scott and Michael set up practice rounds for Cole with some of his heroes: Spieth, Colin Morikawa, Nico Echavarria and Michael Gotterup.
Cole: That was a dream come true. (Spieth and I) talked about how school and golf were going. The coolest part was just seeing him and Michael work through a practice round. 80% of his time, work and focus were spent around the green. The next day I got to play with Colin Morikawa and he was the same way.”
Trainor: “Those guys were great to Cole, they were outstanding. As a coach, I was proud to see that those guys were trying to help Cole. They looked at Cole as this being such a cool experience for him.”
Scott: “I got to walk one of the nines with Michael and got to learn what he looks at and what he’s doing and his preparation getting ready for each tournament. That was super helpful ... .It's what you hope for your kids that they get to have experiences that are kind of beyond words like this.”
Michael: “(Scott) joked with me there’s nobody other than me that’s seen more of Jordan’s golf swings and shots than Cole. Since he was a little boy he’s followed everything golf related, but Jordan specifically, he’s seen every shot Jordan’s ever hit.”
Cole was guaranteed two rounds at the Scottish Open – anything beyond that required him to make the cut. For the first round he was paired with Matthew Jordan and Matty Schmidt with one of the last tee times of the morning.
In his first round at a PGA Tour event, and on a completely different style of course compared to what’s typically found in the United States, Cole managed a 4-over 74. His scorecard featured a birdie on 14, and five bogeys, but he opened with six-straight made pars.
With conditions worsening on the second day, Cole struggled to a 7-over 77 and failed to make the cut. He made 10 pars during an 11-hole stretch, but was hampered by a pair of double bogeys. His tournament ended with a double-bogey on his final hole.
Cole: “People have asked me a lot what my nerves were like. It wasn’t the most nervous I’ve been. I felt like I settled in pretty well. I struggled with my driver and putter, but I managed it well (in the first round). I felt like it should have been better, but I wasn’t too disappointed.”
Trainor: “I never thought Cole was nervous. He didn’t look nervous at all out there. He was here, he earned this, and he was going to play.”
Michael: “He strung together a bunch of pars and played a really solid round, all things considered, for his first time ever on that stage with the best golfers in the world.”
Kerry: “We were all way more emotional than he is. We were feeling everything with every shot. But it’s a lot easier to watch somebody struggle that manages it so well. Cole has such lofty goals in golf that he recognizes that emotion isn’t going to help him. Nothing really rattled him.”
Scott: “What I was so impressed with was just how nothing phased him – he was able to manage what had to be an overwhelming situation. I remember walking with Kerry at Riviera, I said to her on the second hole, ‘he looks like a pro.’”
Cole: “In the second round on Friday I struggled a bit more. I played similarly, but I had a couple errors, where in the first round I recovered from them well, in the second round I just didn’t.”
David: “The second day the sun came out and the wind picked up. One unfortunate break on his final hole. we almost didn’t find the ball – it was in a patch of knee-high rough. I hated that’s how his first tour event ended – but the experience of being able to play in the Scottish Open. I told him how proud I was of him. The final thing (Cole) said to me was how he looked forward to coming back here.”
Scott: “I can’t explain why he didn’t putt better, but he hit the ball so well all week. He managed mistakes so well, and I was just in awe standing out there. There were parts where he could hang (with the professionals), so it was neat and special to provide validation in so many ways of his game. It all started with him having the right mindset on the front end. He was there to compete and play and just to take it as another round of golf.”
Michael: “I was most struck by how he carried himself. He didn’t strike me as overwhelmed by the moment. He took it really in stride. It’s very easy for (a young player) to be starstruck and overwhelmed.”
Cole: “The part I take away most is the overall experience and learning where my game stands. I want to get back there super bad.”
Kerry: “Macy had to write (a paper for school) about someone she admires – and she said it was her big brother Cole, and the reason was because he’s so calm. She said, ‘It’s crazy, mom. In Scotland he wasn’t doing very well. He saw me and he just looked over and smiled.’
No longer in the tournament, the Rueck family had a decent consolation prize. Scott’s caddy for his and Cole’s appearance at Kingsbarn was the son of a member of Muirfield – an adjacent course to the Renaissance Club, and one that lies deep in the annals of Scottish golf history. Trainor describes Muirfield as the ‘Augusta of the United Kingdom.’
Scott reached back out to follow up on a conversation about him and Cole getting an opportunity to play at Muirfield. It worked.
David: “When he told me he got to tee it up at Muirfield, my jaw dropped. I told him he had to understand where he was playing at that day. To walk on the property, you think this place is unbelievable.’
Scott: “I think we were the last people out that evening. We could hear the roars (from the Scottish Open), but we didn’t see another person after probably the first 30-45 minutes. It was just the two of us playing one of the best courses in the world. Like walking in heaven a little bit, maybe.”
Cole: “It was the best alternative for sure. We were the only ones out there and we got great weather. That was probably my favorite course over there. Over there you can’t tell immediately that a course is going to be amazing or not because they all look so similar. But just the design of the holes and the green complexes are what separates them.”
I’ve always loved golf. I’ve never felt like it was a chore to go to practice. I’ve gotten to the next step of realizing that playing on the PGA Tour is not just a dream that I don’t really know if it’s possible. Now it feels like it’s possible.Cole Rueck
Cole went to the Scottish Open hoping to make the cut – he was not there to participate and say he did. During the week of the tournament, he was telling the other professionals he was hoping his play would earn an exemption to the following week’s Open Championship.
While he didn’t achieve that goal, he received the validation he needed to know his dreams in golf are more than just dreams – they’re attainable. Nearly two weeks in Scotland – the birthplace of the game – sharing a red-letter moment with his family and meeting his idols wasn’t necessary to strengthen his connection and passion for the game.
He already had that.
Kerry: “I’ve often wondered if there’s going to be a point where he’s just had enough (of golf). But it hasn’t diminished at all. (This experience) just brought clarity in how to get there.”
Scott: “I think that’s the human experience. When you get thrown to the wolves, you learn a lot about yourself. The knowledge he has learned from that week is transformational in his game. How do you put value on that?”
Cole: “I’ve always loved golf. I’ve never felt like it was a chore to go to practice. I’ve gotten to the next step of realizing that playing on the PGA Tour is not just a dream that I don’t really know if it’s possible. Now it feels like it’s possible.”
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