Massachusetts Firefighter Earns Spot to Play in The Masters

The Masters always seems to generate a good story, whether it be an amateur having an amazing round or a player surprisingly contending. This year, there’s already a contender for the top feel good story.

Matt Parziale is from Brockton, Massachusetts and is a firefighter for the the local station in the town. His job is already one of the most dangerous in the country, running into flames without hesitation, but it becomes even more difficult since his is the 7th most active ladder in the U.S. But still, Parziale has found an escape from all the pressures that come with his job by playing golf.

The 31 year old has been fighting fires for years but he has also become a pretty good golfer. And he does it all basically without any sleep at all. For example, he shot a 66 in a tournament last year, then reported for duty later that night, got home at 8 a.m. and was ready to tee off again three hours later.

He ended up winning the tournament by one stroke. A few months later, Parziale won the U.S. Mid-Amateur to earn an invite to The Masters.

USPS = Santa Clause. The Best Christmas Present. #TheMasters #christmas #christmaseve #teddy pic.twitter.com/kromXhOCpt

— Matt Parziale (@Matt_Parziale) December 24, 2017

Parziale is able to reconcile with his hectic life, however, and has learned how to deal with the busy golf/work schedule. “I wouldn’t say that I’m used to it, but you can’t really think about it because you are competing and in the moment,” Parziale told the Massachusetts Golf Association. “It’s part of my life, so if I complain about that I have bigger issues.”

Another fun fact that comes with Parziale’s Mid-Amateur victory is that he is qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach in August. The problem with that? Parziale’s wedding date is scheduled for the day of the event’s semi-finals. His wife, however, is understanding of Parziale’s hectic schedule and agreed to move their date up a few weeks so he can play.

This is an awesome story for one of the country’s bravest people. And hopefully, he will be able to do all the firefighters proud with his performance at Augusta in a few weeks.

Cover Image via Twitter