JJ GREY

Londoner JJ Grey knew that he was really good at golf as early as 10 years old. Charting a path to become a profes sional golfer, he moved to Atlanta in 2012 to attend Georgia State University on a full golf scholarship. While there, he earned athletic All-America honors as a freshman and finished school with multiple Academic All-America honors.

“I went pro soon after graduating in 2016, and it’s been a grind ever since,” Grey says.

To fund the expensive sport early on, Grey caddied at golf courses around Atlanta. A couple of years later, he got a big break by gaining conditional status on the PGA Tour Canada. Soon after, he decided to take a year off work to take care of his newborn son, Theo, while his wife, Kitan Ajanaku, whom he met in college, finished law school.

In the course of juggling family obligations, a part-time job and practice sessions, Grey confided in close friend, fellow golfer and college teammate Sam Asbury that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could push for his dream. Unbeknownst to Grey at the time, Asbury had approached his father about helping Grey.

A week later, Asbury committed suicide, a tragic event that changed the trajectory of Grey’s career. Touched by their friendship and with knowledge of Grey’s struggles to get back on the tour track, his friend’s parents, Kelly and David Asbury, decided to sponsor his golf dream for a minimum of three years.

With the newfound support, Grey earned full status on PGA Tour Canada for the 2020 season. Yet he received another blow to his momentum: When COVID hit, the tour was canceled. It was eventually rescheduled, and Grey was able to keep his tour card for the 2021 season. That success led to his earning status on the much larger Korn Ferry Tour, a series of 20 tour naments with three playoff events that serve as the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour.

“I got to the final stage of qualify ing for that tour, and then my daugh