Family Matters

Nate McCoy’s Amateur Reinstatement Bonds Three Generations
JUPITER, FLORIDA | With a puff of smoke wandering out of his cigar, Mike McCoy peers into his rangefinder and relays a number back to his son, Nate. Then, after flicking the cigar aside, Mike gives a nudge of encouragement to his partner: “Stuff it in there, Nate.”

Nate obliges, striping an iron shot to within 10 feet. And away the two go, driving off quickly toward the green.

Mike and Nate McCoy successfully collaborating on a golf course isn’t unusual. They’ve been together in competition on prominent stages – Nate caddying for his dad at the 2014 Masters and Mike caddying for his son through PGA Tour Canada Q-School back in 2012, just to name a couple – but they’ve never done something quite like this.

This week at the National Senior-Junior Championship, 56-year-old Mike is relishing the cocktail-tour debut of 28-year-old Nate. Mike is a noted veteran on the circuit, a past Walker Cup player who won the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur and loves traveling from tournament to...