How those young boys saved Emiliano Grillo’s tournament amid Charles Schwab victory

There was more than meets the eye when Emiliano Grillo shared a moment with those young boys ahead of the playoff at the Colonial.

The story between Emiliano Grillo and the two kids he hit balls with on Sunday continues to get better as the winner gave some incredible insight into why he chose to interact with the boys.

Grillo beat Adam Schenk in two playoff holes to win his second career PGA Tour event after an eight-year drought. But it didn’t come easy.

Grillo’s double bogey on 18 could have cost him the championship. However, he summoned the mental strength to play well and win anyway. But that doesn’t mean he is immune to the deflating thoughts that anyone would feel at that moment.

“I guess it was a little bit of a trick to get my head out of the situation,” Grillo said. “José Cóceres did it with me when I was seven, eight years old, and that was the greatest experience of my life. Just watching him and hitting his clubs. I kind of got to do it with them, and hopefully they’ll remember that.”

One of the kids hugged him after the interaction because he needed a hug, and that sweet interaction pulled at the golf world’s heartstrings.

After Grillo let them hit, the PGA Tour’s social team talked with the kids, and they will remember that interaction.

“One day, I’ll be like that,” both boys said. “One day — on the PGA Tour.”

“It’s also something that it helped to get my mind off the situation,” Grillo said. “I mean, I just made a double, and I just basically gave the tournament away, and it wasn’t up to me. It wasn’t in my hands. It was a moment that I needed to get my head out of that.”

After the win, the boys got to go into the locker room with the Charles Schwab winner. They each got a hat and shared a signed glove from Grillo. Those kids likely have a core memory they’ll never forget.