Gary Woodland has cemented his status as a golfer to watch by edging ahead of Justin Rose at the top of the leaderboard at the 2019 US Open.
The Kansas-born 35-year-old first enjoyed success as a scholar before winning four tournaments as an amateur on his way to turning professional in 2007.
Woodland played on the PGA and Nationwide Tours in his first year, winning his first title at the Southwest Kansas Pro-Am.
His best results to date came in 2011, when Woodland finished inside the top 30 at the PGA Championship US Open, Masters and Open Championship.
How much is Gary Woodland worth?
Florida-based Woodland was thought to be worth around £9.3 million at the start of the US Open, meaning his fortune is likely to eclipse £10m at the end of the tournament in California.
He earned approximately £900,000 for winning the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, ending a five-year drought at the tournament.
Even when Woodland finishes down the field at tournaments, his earnings as a professional golfer are substantial.
Despite finishing joint-seventh in Arizona this year, he still picked up around £175,000.
Technology company CDW supplied Woodland with a new bag for the US Open, and the golfer has supported them in their campaigns to help children learn life skills through access to technology.
Woodland joined equipment supplier Wilson Golf at the start of 2019, describing their line of clubs and kit as “integral” to his performances.
He took part in the Patriot Golf Day initiative which is the largest grass-roots golf fundraiser in the nation, support scholarships for the families of servicemen and women who have been killed or injured.
Woodland has produced a range of clothing alongside Puma Golf, including four colourful polo shirts, golfing trousers and leather shoes designed for courses.
Woodland is a multi-talented sportsman who grew up near the University of Kansas, which is renowned for producing elite basketball players.
He soon realised he was out of his depth among the best basketball players in the area, although he has posted photos of Wilson’s basketballs to his following of more than 37,000 people on Instagram.
Woodland reminisced: “You just always had that dream of playing big-time basketball. I’ve always had a dream of playing professional sports, ever since I was a kid.
“I played one game of college basketball and thought, ‘alright, I need to move.’
“Switching to golf was the first time in my life I had ever dedicated myself to one sport. That was pretty cool and I think I made the right choice.”
There was little indication he would pose a title challenge at this year’s US Open, where he is a shot ahead of Rose going into the final day of the tournament.
Woodland also holds a comfortable lead over the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and defending champions Brooks Koepka.
Last year’s US Open saw him finish 36th – his best result since coming 23rd eight years ago.
Woodland will be attempting to go one better than he did in 2016, when he finished runner runner-up in five tournaments.
Asked about his near misses, he told golf.com: “It’s very frustrating. I’ve had a lot of chances on Sunday to really crack through and I just haven’t done it.
“But I’m excited about the way my golf is going and I’m seeing a lot more of a consistent trend in the way my game is going.”
Winning the US Open would earn Woodland around £1.8m. He will receive a consolation of more than £1m should he finish second, £650,000 for third and £450,000 for fourth.