A Korn Ferry employee stepped into a different role Thursday, making his Korn Ferry Tour debut at the NV5 Invitational.
Dan Massello, a 42-year-old from Chicago, started with a par at The Glen Club in Glenview, Illinois, but things went downhill quickly. He managed just two more pars the rest of the way, finishing with a 20-over 91.
Massello’s round included 10 bogeys and five double bogeys, though he did avoid any triple bogeys or worse. He trailed the morning wave’s next highest score by 17 shots and sat 29 shots behind leader Davis Chatfield.
He played alongside fellow sponsor exemptions John Augenstein and Charlie Nikitas, who fared considerably better. Augenstein, a former Vanderbilt All-American and 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up, shot 70. Nikitas, a Miami of Ohio product with eight PGA Tour Americas starts this year, carded a 69.
Korn Ferry’s sponsor exemption last year went to San Diego State’s Justin Hastings, who has since won the Latin America Amateur and finished as low amateur at last month’s U.S. Open.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Massello currently works as principal, finance and accounting, professional search at Korn Ferry. He’s not entirely new to golf, though. Before joining the consulting world in 2017, Massello worked as a PGA golf professional, including a stint as assistant pro at Evanston Golf Club in Skokie, Illinois. He also spent nearly five years as a golf instructor for Northwestern’s Wildcat Golf Academy.
From 2007 to 2016, Massello competed in numerous Illinois Section PGA events. His scores typically landed in the high 70s, with his best showing a 70 at the 2013 Ravinia Green CC Classic, a one-day tournament where he tied for first.
Korn Ferry wished their colleague well on Wednesday:
“Good luck to Korn Ferry colleague Dan Massello as he tees off as our exemption pick on the @kornferrytour this week in Chicago! Just like in business, golf rewards those who seize opportunity, stay focused, and play beyond expectations.
“Go show them what ‘Be More Than’ looks like!”
Massello tees off for Round 2 at 3:12 p.m. ET. After his opening round, he’ll need a dramatic turnaround to make the cut.
