Austin Lemieux is headed to the show — and he did it with a number that carries special meaning in his family.
The 30-year-old son of Pittsburgh Penguins legend and NHL Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux fired a 66 at The Country Club of Winter Haven in Winter Haven, Florida, on Monday to qualify for his first PGA Tour event, earning a spot in next week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
For Austin, who maintains amateur status as a golfer, the score was more than just a great round of golf. It was a fitting tribute to his famous father, whose No. 66 became one of the most iconic numbers in hockey history.
Mario wore 66 during his legendary hockey career, finishing with 690 goals and 1,033 assists. He famously chose the number as a nod to Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99, with the digits flipped upside down. Now, years after Mario established himself as one of hockey’s all-time greats, his son is carving out a path of his own in another sport.
And Austin’s journey to the PGA Tour has been anything but a given. A former Arizona State University hockey player, Lemieux eventually pursued his passion for golf, developing his game on the amateur circuit. In September, he won a Pennsylvania mid-amateur championship before adding another milestone earlier this month with a victory on the Minor League Golf Tour in Florida.
Those results set the stage for Monday’s breakthrough. The 68-man qualifier offered four spots in the Bermuda Championship field, and Lemieux made his opportunity count. He was joined by Adam Long (64), Matthew (66) Anderson and Willie Mack III (66), all earning places in the PGA Tour event.
The tournament begins next Thursday at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Organizers held the qualifier in Florida ahead of the event to give successful players time to arrange their travel.
Golf is hardly unfamiliar territory for the Lemieux family. Mario was a scratch golfer during his playing days and remained active on the celebrity golf circuit and in charity tournaments throughout the years. But now the spotlight shifts to Austin.
He may be best known as the son of one of hockey’s greatest players, but his qualifying performance gives him a chance to write a chapter of his own — this time with a golf club in his hands instead of a hockey stick. Next stop: Bermuda.
For the son of a Pittsburgh sports icon, the road to the show has taken a different route. But the ambition, the competitive spirit and now that memorable number are unmistakably Lemieux.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Austin Lemieux, son of hockey great Mario Lemieux, shoots 66 to reach PGA Tour event