Story by Paul Payne

For many years, Dan Sullivan was driven by an insatiable pursuit of achieving golfing excellence. There was a compulsion to reach some undefined pinnacle, constantly refining his swing, putting in endless practice sessions and a full schedule of competitions.

It became like a second career for Sullivan in addition to his paying job as a bank vice president in Southern California overseeing a portfolio of real estate holdings. Unmarried with few other obligations, Sullivan had the time and energy to embark on this quest in a guilt-free manner.

But everything changed when he met Lindsay Amstutz in 2009.

Sullivan was finishing a workout at his local gym when he and Amstutz first crossed paths. She was working for the NBA league office at the time, and a couple of nights later he found himself joining her for a Los Angeles Sparks contest the night legendary Lisa Leslie retired from the WNBA.

The couple married three years later, and now have a 10-year-son, Travis, and a daughter, Chloe, who is seven. Suddenly, Sullivan’s relentless commitment to the game of golf had competition, and it was a trade the Pasadena resident has gladly made.

Make no mistake – Sullivan is still serious about his golf pursuits. That has been fully evident as he won both of his matches on Wednesday at the 69th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship to advance to Thursday’s 18-hole championship match at The Honors Course. It’s just that the outcome of that match with Louis Brown of Marietta, Ga. will not define him.

“I have struggled with being able to put my golf game in perspective my whole competitive career,” Sullivan said. “I am very serious on the golf course and I'm out there to do a job. But if I get my behind handed to me tomorrow, I will still go home and I will be beyond happy to see my family who I haven't seen in nine days.”

Sullivan’s perspective has changed from the days when he used to beat himself up over not meeting his stratospheric expectations. He sees things through a different lens these days, and he recognizes that his love for the game has improved.

“I've really tried to start doing better for myself and learning to accept my failures,” Sullivan said. “Because let's face it - golf is so much more about failure than it is about success. In the last three or four months, I've just become more focused on not tearing myself down. It's been the most successful period I’ve experienced in terms of results ever without really caring about my results.

“It seems like the less I care, the better I play. As I've progressed through this week, it's actually become easier for me just because I'm having so much fun being out here. I've enjoyed this experience so much that I really don't care about results. I mean, in the moment, if I snap it into the water, I'm going to care.  But I'm going to get over it when I hit my next shot.”

Amstutz, who is President of Media and Partnerships with Playfly Sports, a leader in sports media, marketing and technology, has been a vital component in Sullivan’s transformative approach to the game.

“Her working around professional sports and having a great understanding definitely helps,” Sullivan said. “Since we met later in life and I was sort of set in my ways, I tried to be up front about my golfing. She always likes to say that ‘it was in the brochure that I play tournament golf’. Lindsay has not only been understanding, but she has been hugely supportive of it, and that means a lot.”

While many of Sullivan’s fellow competitors have children in college or even grandchildren, his late start on parenthood is something he doesn’t take lightly. It becomes even more poignant considering Sullivan’s mother died when he was only 16, and his relationship with his own father had periods of estrangement that they reconciled prior to his dad’s death in 2021.

“He would have been proud of me today,” Sullivan said. “I think he would have really enjoyed how well I played. It was something that he and I did before his health deteriorated and he was still playing golf. Since I’ve become a parent myself, I've definitely gained a better understanding and appreciation for him.”

Sullivan grew up in neighboring San Marino, an idyllic childhood that was “about as close to Mayberry that you’re going to find in Southern California.”

Being introduced to golf by his father when he was eight, Sullivan tried to walk on at USC. The reality of what it took to play at the collegiate level was a jolt to his confidence, leading him to walk away from golf for several years other than the occasional round with his buddies.

But in his late 20s, he was convinced by a boss who was an avid golfer to join him regularly for rounds, and Sullivan begrudgingly agreed.

“I finally said, ‘Fine. I'll come out and play with you,’ Sullivan said. “I was single and didn't have anything else to do. We would play at Brookside, which is close to our house. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to break 80 because I hadn’t played in so long.”

Before long, Sullivan connected with a group of junior golf friends and his appetite for competitive golf was rekindled.

“They were kicking my butt, and I was tired of that,” Sullivan said. “So, a friend of mine that I had met introduced me to an instructor by the name of Bob Lasken, and that's kind of when I started to improve.”

Sullivan, 57, started playing in qualifiers with limited success, but he saw gradual improvement in his game. He competed in city tournaments, SCGA events and the margin for missing the cut continued to shrink. Then in 2005, he finally broke through.

“I qualified for the (U.S.) Mid-Am here at The Honors Course,” Sullivan said. “It was almost a shock. I remember walking back to the parking lot thinking, ‘I can't believe I've finally done this.’ All of the work that I put in and all of the time and effort had actually resulted in something. So that just further kicked me in the behind, trying to keep getting better.”

Sullivan’s ascent has resulted in an impressive body of work. This is his 13th USGA tournament, previously advancing to the semifinals in the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2016 and 2017. He finished second in the senior division at the John T. Lupton Memorial at The Honors Course, and captured the Southern California Senior Match Play title earlier this month.

Making it into the U.S. Senior Amateur at a course he’s played often was a major goal, especially considering Sullivan would not have been age-eligible when The Honors Course was originally scheduled to host this event in 2021, but was pushed back three years due to COVID and plans for a restoration of the golf course.

“I played unbelievably well in my qualifier especially considering how important it was for me to get here, shooting a 67,” Sullivan said “To me, the hard part was done just to get here. Playing in the event is actually easier.

“I feel like it gets easier as you progress now, even though the stakes are higher. Just to be here is an opportunity that I am so thankful to have. I will have had an unbelievably successful and enjoyable week regardless of the outcome.”

Sullivan has had a throwback to his bachelor days this week, ending up at a laundromat Tuesday evening because he’d run out of clean socks and shorts. Plus, he’s down to his last clean shirt, one that he bought at the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year at Sleepy Hollow.

While he’s hopeful to claim his first USGA championship in his inaugural U.S. Senior Amateur appearance, he’s also ready to return to the new normal life as a husband and a father.

“My wife and I are going to Cabo the day after I get back for four days without kids, no kids, so I can't wait for that,” Sullivan said. “I’m putting my golf clubs as far away from me as I can for a while.”

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com.