He’s an overnight sensation, almost two decades in the making.

Rupe Taylor, 35, a teaching pro at Virginia Beach National Golf Club, earned a spot in the PGA Championship after more than a decade of trying.

Since Sunday, he has been in Charlotte, North Carolina, around Quail Hollow Club, where the tournament starts Thursday.

“I’m gonna give every ounce of effort,” he said. “If it goes great, awesome. If not, I’m still gonna have the most fun week of my life.”

Taylor’s breakthrough came in the PGA Professional Championship from April 27-30 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

The Masters, U.S. Open and British Open don’t reserve spots for teaching pros, but the PGA stands alone among golf’s four majors in doing so.

Via Middle Atlantic PGA qualifying in August 2024, Taylor earned one of more than 300 spots in Port St. Lucie. Each year, the top 20 in that event gain berths in golf’s second major tournament.

In his first appearance in the Professional Championship in more than a decade, Taylor tied for ninth at 3-under-par 285, firing 72-70-69 before closing with a 74.

Gloucester High graduate Josh Speight, who qualified for two PGA Championships in that manner and is a pro in New Kent County at Viniterra, didn’t miss a third by much. He tied for 28th at 2 over par.

Born in Asheville, North Carolina, Taylor grew up in Charlottesville enjoying golf, almost entered the Marines out of Albemarle High but was accepted to North Carolina State’s golf management program, though he wasn’t quite skilled enough to make the Wolfpack team.

“I entered into the program I guess as close to a scratch golfer, but D-I golfers are probably in the plus-4 or plus-5 category,” he said. “I studied the business and was warned of all the signs of becoming a PGA professional — ‘you don’t get to play, you work all the time.’ I never really accepted that. …

“The more I’ve done it, the more I realize golf can have an impact on people’s lives,” he said. “We get so busy with life and career and trying to earn a living, I think at times we just have to take a freaking break. … If going to the driving range for an hour makes you happy, you should do that.”

Taylor worked at courses in Charlottesville and Kiawah Island, South Carolina, before coming to Virginia Beach. He taught at Princess Anne Country Club before Virginia Beach National.

“At my busiest periods, I would teach four to eight lessons a day and would try to spend one to four hours to slide out working on my own game,” he said. “I’m my own boss.”

One of his Beach pupils was Ken Smith, an avid 2-handicap golfer who owns a home improvement company. Smith was his caddie at Port St. Lucie and will be on Taylor’s bag again at Quail Hollow.

“He’s just been a huge asset to be part of my team,” Taylor said.

Smith said, “He was my coach, I went to him for lessons and we just became friends. He has this device ‘Trackman,’ a really sophisticated launch monitor. … I was touched that he asked me to caddie for him. Definitely the thrill of a lifetime. We get to play against the best golfers in the world.”

As Taylor found his way to the Port St. Lucie leaderboard, that opportunity loomed larger.

“I was hitting the ball very well,” Taylor said. “The middle two rounds, I hit the ball very, very well. My putter was like a solid ‘B’ all week.”

Then “I caught myself on the ninth hole on the third round daydreaming a little bit because we had a five-minute delay on the tee box. I was thinking I could be hanging out on the range with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler … and then I probably hit the worst tee shot of the week. I realized I had to stay focused or it all could go up in smoke.”

Taylor asked Smith to constantly remind him to play one shot at a time.

“He got better mentally as the event went on and on,” Smith said. “He got more and more resilient. I think he’s really competitive, and I think that drives him.”

The tournament was shown on the Golf Channel. “It was hard for the TV coverage to catch it all, but he hit some of the most incredible shots I’ve ever seen,” Smith said.

Smith cited the par-5 13th, where “we could barely see the flagstick” about 275 yards away in the third round. Taylor “ripped a 3-wood to, like, 3 feet. He brushed in that 3-footer for eagle.”

On the 72nd hole, three shots clear of the cut to qualify for the PGA Championship, Taylor missed a 15-foot putt for par but still tied for ninth.

“Had that putt gone in, he’d have made $10,000 more” by tying for fifth, Smith said.

As a child, Smith was a “standard-bearer” at the PGA’s Phoenix Open, holding score signs, and he attended the 2011 U.S. Open, which McIlroy won by eight strokes at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. But this “wild ride,” as Smith termed it, will continue.

“We’re just going to soak it in and have as much fun as we possibly can. His whole family will be there.”

More than a decade ago, Taylor lost his grandfather and father within a two-week span, leading to mourning and a DUI charge. He said he hasn’t had alcohol since 2013.

“I needed to start piecing together my life without the need to resort to drinking to find my relaxation or enjoyment,” he said.

He credited his then-girlfriend, now-wife, Baylee, who now works as a remote school teacher.

“We had been dating for about a year at that point, and she was just a rock. She supported me through all of those things and helped me steer clear of all the messes I had been creating for myself,” Taylor said. “We’ve been married since 2017 and we have an 18-month-old girl named Noah. Having her in my life has given me so much perspective. Whether I have a good round or a bad round, she just wants her dad for the next hour until she has to go to bed.”

Taylor hopes he can inspire people, much as Californian teaching pro Michael Block — who tied for third at Port St. Lucie — did by tying for 15th at the 2023 PGA, playing with McIlroy in the final group. Taylor has thanked Block for inspiring him.

“We all look for purpose and meaning,” Taylor said. “I want people to experience the joy that golf can bring. As long as you don’t get too frustrated, there are good shots in your future.

“I love the game; I’m passionate about it.”

He knows getting into golf can be challenging financially, but he wants to increase participation and said there’s a place near Virginia Beach National for it.

“If costs are of concern, go visit The First Tee, just across the street.”