Mini-Tour Monday Qualifier Hanging Tough In Houston

Will Gray with the fantastic story of Austin Cook, Monday qualifier who posted a 70 Saturday while paired with Phil Mickelson (75). Through 54 holes Cook is one shot off Jordan Spieth’s Shell Houston Open lead and, well, we all know where he plays next week if he wins.

Even better, he’s got his brother on his bag.

Cook has his younger brother, Kyle, on the bag this week, although their partnership almost didn’t materialize. Kyle is a junior at the University of Arkansas, where Austin graduated in 2013, and his class schedule meant he had to hop a flight Wednesday night from Fayetteville to Houston.

That left his older brother to fend for himself in Monday’s qualifier, where he fired a 64 without the benefit of a caddie and while toting his own bag on a push cart.

“It’s a lot of fun. You’ve got your umbrella holder there if you need it,” he said of the cart. “You can put all sorts of stuff in there.”

Cook makes a cameo in the PGA Tour highlights.