Jordan O’Brien is not a household name around Australia.
At least not in the manner that classic phrase suggests – of fame for one’s nationally recognised achievements.
O’Brien is, however, a name revered around the “second tier” of Aussie women’s golf – and strangely enough, it’s not all about her golf, per se.
That’s not to say she’s not a good golfer. She’ll be the first to tell you she’s not yet “great”, but she’s bloody good, even if you don’t know her – yet.
But what she is is a stupendous person.
The 28-year-old has been plying her trade as a WPGA professional for several years now, rolling around the country to make ends meet and to keep alive her dream of breaking out on a big global tour.
Despite her tender years, she’s something of a maternal figure on tour because she’s always got the best interests of her young peers at heart.
“Jordy” remembers names, always smiles and has patience that stretches like the winding country roads that she drives to each event, often staying as a billet with the same families (themselves such an under-appreciated resource for young women in her boat) for years on end.
She stands up for her mates on course, protects them socially and is, broadly, loved by all in this travelling convoy.
If you haven’t seen her during a tournament, she’s often the one who tips the “traditional” celebratory water or champagne over the winner on the final green.
She loves them. They love her.
And even after last week’s stop at Mollymook, O’Brien still found it in her heart to tip the water over fellow Gold Coaster Hannah Reeves as her winning party began.
I bring this up because most pros – especially on the men’s side – would have long since left Mollymook in O’Brien’s position.
You see, she shot rounds of 83 and 82 to finish about 2000 miles behind Reeves and about three hours before the final putt dropped.
But she stayed.
That’s obviously stoic and super impressive socially.
But more, to most, it’s clearly a contributing factor as to why she’s the centrepiece of this story less than a week later.
O’Brien carded a seven-under-par 66 today to share the lead of the Ford Women’s NSW Open regional qualifier at Wagga Wagga Country Club.
That’s elite.
By any measure.
But particularly having just been, in her own words, “humbled” at Mollymook.
“Yeah, Mollymook was a complete disaster – I don’t think I’ve had that many shots in such a long time, especially in a tournament,” she reflected after her opening round.
“So to be able to come back and, yeah, shoot a score that I did, it’s very, very rewarding.”
In a separate TV interview, she described – with far modesty than the words will suggest when written down – that she’d handled last week’s lesson “like a champion”.
“I think it just sort of proves to myself that there’s definitely a side of me with some resilience.”
“I guess, just that mentality of, `you just can’t give up’. You’ve just got to keep going when that sort of thing happens, as tough as it might first be.”
“The result doesn’t define who you are. So you’ve just got to, I don’t know, take it on the chin and just be like, `OK, well that happened’, then move on.”
“Golf is not perfect and it’s never going to be perfect, but, yeah, I think it’s definitely more satisfying coming back after a terrible result to shoot a really low number.”
“That’s probably what I’m more proud of myself for doing (than today’s score).”
So what of her ability to divest her own golfing pain in others’ joy?
“Yeah, I am a fan of everyone out here,” she said with sincere reflection.
“I think it’s hard, it’s such a hard gig. It’s not an easy sport. And for most of us, it is our primary job.”
“It’s our way of living as well and it’s not easy. So whenever someone else is doing really good and better than myself, yeah, I’m their No.1 fan because I know how hard it is.”
“And I feel if it was on the other hand, they would support me just as much.”
Which is undeniably true, but not easy to actually live out when you’ve had a massive kick in the guts.
“No. But I think to be honest, I was just telling myself, just get this over with, and then you’ll be out there and you can just relax and enjoy everyone else playing golf and yeah, there were a lot of girls that I’m quite close with who were in the final groups and those were my intentions to go out and watch anyway.”
“But you want to see them do well. You want to see them succeed. It’s not easy winning, and I want people to win.”
And for one last insight into why so many people love Jordy, consider this when you’re watching her battle it out tomorrow, whether or not victory remains in sight.
You’ll see an athletic, but small woman who’s smiling, bubbly and gregarious to all in her orbit.
But there’s so much more just bubbling under that surface – a competitive beast just waiting to roar.
“Yeah, a little pocket rocket, I guess,” she said with a broad grin.
“You’ve got to have a bit a little bit of mongrel in you because it’s like, `How bad do you actually want it?’.
“I’m not out here just to muck around and have fun with the girls.”
“Like, this is my job and this is my living, and I want to obviously get to the next stage where I’m on the big stage.”
“So you’ve got to have that mongrel and dig deep, and I, yeah, I definitely feel like that showed today.”
“I doubled (took a six on the par four) ninth hole to turn one under – it could have easily gone the other way at that point.”
“But I chipped in for birdie on my 10th hole, and then that was when it sort of just started (meaning five birdies in succession and six on the back nine).”
“You can’t just let it defeat you. You know it’s in there and that you can do it, so you just go after it, I guess.”
