James Piot has been living the dream ever since he won the 121st U.S. Amateur in August. The fifth-year senior at Michigan State has enjoyed all sorts of perks, including throwing out a first pitch at a Detroit Tigers game, being honored between quarters at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan, meeting baseball great Kirk Gibson, receiving congratulatory messages from Magic Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, and billboards with his mug all around town.
Still to come: a celebrity appearance in Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day parade and a trip to Augusta National to begin prepping for the Masters in April. Yes, life is good for Piot, who ranks No. 61 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.