WEST LAFAYETTE — Harrison graduate and Western Kentucky golfer Nic Hofman walked the 13th hole at Allen-Ackerman, seemingly alone and looking ahead to his next shot.
It was one of those days when the game flowed. Drives found their greens, his second and third shots landed where they should and if he managed to get through rough areas, they were slightly cumbersome at best.
And as he walked the course, keeping a steady but distanced pace, was his mother Jackie, who was his caddie during the Lafayette men’s golf tournament match play.
It was Jackie’s first time caddying for her son, who won the event as a high school senior in 2019.
“It was fun and better than staying home,” Jackie Hofman said Sunday. “I usually walk, but I was pushing the cart. Luckily, he didn’t have to deal with as many holes this time.”
The Birck Boilermaker Golf Resort is almost like a second home to Nic who has watched his father win the event several times.
All the pressure Nic felt was eased by his mother simply handing her son the club number.
“I at least know what a putter is,” Jackie said.
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And having his mother by his side made the performance even better. Hoffman easily cruised to a 5-4 victory over Kelly Greene in the round of 16. Greene, a well-known local player, knocked off two former champions in 2021, including last year’s winner Austin Conroy.
This was followed by a 3 & 2 victory over Brooks Leftwich.
Nic Hofman credited his mother for keeping him relaxed on the course.
“She made sure I had fun,” Nic Hofman said. “Most of the time I do what I want, but it’s nice to have someone with you to chat with and talk about golf stuff. It keeps your mind occupied.”
Hofman is one of four golfers still in contention for the championship along with his father Brent. He will tee off at 8:50 a.m. Saturday against former Indiana Wesleyan player Dalton Miller.
And if both Hofmans win, a duel for the Lafayette Men’s City Golf Championship will be contested between father and son on Sunday.
At that point, Jackie won’t really know who to root for. Nic has gotten the better of his elder, eliminating him from match play in 2018.
“It was fun and I hope we can do it again,” Nic Hofman said. “It’s always fun to have that opportunity. It’s definitely a lot harder for my mom not knowing who to lean on. We always play together when I’m home. It’s just another day at the office for me and him.”
The same cannot be said of Jackie.
“It wasn’t funny,” Jackie Hofman said. “It started out as a bit of a scuffle between the two of them. Once his dad got the upper hand, it got really quiet. And then you could tell Brett meant well, but he meant well. It was a win-win either way, but going through that, it wasn’t funny.”
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With golf being the catalyst for the competition between the two men, she also remembers seeing Brent shake Nic’s hand after the victory.
The Lafayette Men’s Golf Tournament is a family tradition for the Hofman family, win or lose.
“Ever since he was little, Nic was with his dad on the driving range and on the golf course,” Jackie Hofman said. “It was about third grade that he wanted to try baseball. He could hit the ball but couldn’t catch it. He had big lips, so he just played golf.”
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at [email protected]on Twitter at Ethan A Hanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Unexpected source helps Nic Hoffman succeed at Lafayette Men’s City