McCoy: I shouldn't have looked, I've only got $350
Lee McCoy would have made $292,800 for his fourth place finish at the Valspar had he been a pro
Despite playing partner Jordan Spieth's advice, American amateur Lee McCoy just couldn't resist peeping at the Valspar Championship prize money sheet in the scoring trailer.
McCoy, 22, a Georgia senior who grew up at Innisbrook Resort, carded a final-round 69 to pip Spieth by four shots in their Sunday duel en route to finishing solo fourth on 4-under par - the best showing by an amateur in nearly two decades at an elite PGA Tour event.
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The downside to such a result was sacrificing the $292,800 he would have added to his bank account had he been a professional.
"I shouldn't have looked. Lot of money. Lot of money," said McCoy, who had earlier been warned by the world number one to not find out.
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"I think I got like $350 in my bank account right now, so it's mostly gas money.
"It hurt, but there's so much going great for me right now. I'm just trying to take it all in. Just really grateful to be standing there."
McCoy is only the fifth amateur to finish in the top five at a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson won as an Arizona State junior in 1991.
Robby Shelton tied for third in his only PGA Tour appearance at the Barbasol Championship last season, but the event held opposite the Open Championship attracted a particularly weak field.
Spieth was evidently full of admiration for McCoy as he began clapping his playing partner while walking up to the 18th green.
"It's really incredible to see a guy in his position to have that much class," added McCoy.
"At the end of the day, I'm still a little college scrub playing out here with these guys trying to fit in. The guy had nothing but great things to say and treated me like I really belonged out here. It's pretty cool."
Spieth, also 22 but with about $33 million more in career earnings, knows the feeling all too well having finished tied 16th in his hometown Byron Nelson Championship when he was just 16.
"It was really cool to watch," said two-time major champion Spieth.
"You would have thought he was out here for years, working the ball both ways. The way he was talking, couldn't sense any nerves or anything on his putting stroke, either. He's certainly really ready to be out here. It was really fun to watch."
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