"My life is changing right before my very eyes."

With Tom Kite and Eduardo Romero in the clubhouse at 3-under, the stage was set for an unlikely figure to prevail. On the 72nd hole of the 2004 Senior British Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Pete Oakley, PGA, held a one-shot lead. Standing on the 18th green, Oakley was a 10-foot par putt away from etching himself into golf history as a Major Champion.

"I knew my best chance at winning this event was going to be right then and there, and you know, I better get it done," Oakley told himself. "Lo and behold, it went in the hole; that ball went in like it knew where it was going."

At that moment, Oakley, a PGA of America Golf Professional, was a Major Champion. 

While most can only dream of this experience, Oakley lived it. His journey to being crowned a champion on one of the biggest stages in golf is nearly as incredible as the win itself. 

A PGA Life Member in the South Florida PGA Section, Oakley's journey in golf began in his hometown of Panama City, Florida. A talented junior and amateur golfer, Oakley wanted to follow his older brother to the University of Florida and compete on the golf team. After an unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the team, Oakley spent two years at Florida before deciding to start a professional career. 

Confident in his abilities and eager to be involved in golf, Oakley took an Assistant job at International Town and Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia, the first golf course Oakley had ever played at. During this time, Oakley got a head start on his professional working career while playing professionally at the same time. 

From Virginia, Oakley moved to Delaware and became a PGA Member in the Philadelphia PGA Section and saw great success as a player. For the next 20+ years, Oakley worked full-time, and continued to pursue a full-time playing career but was unable to get his big break.

This was until a recommendation from his older brother, who was playing very well on the European Senior Tour, having already notched four wins:

"It (Europe) is really different from golf in the U.S.; you would do well over here," Oakley recalled the conversation with his older brother.

Taking his brother's advice, Oakley traveled to Portugal to compete in qualifying school for the European Senior Tour. In the final round, Oakley was one-over through the first seven holes and needed to get to one-under to have a chance. 

On the eighth hole, Oakley was left with a blind approach shot with an eight iron in his hand.

"I'll be very honest; I scalded that 8 iron, and I'm running up the top of the hill because I couldn't see it land," Oakley said. "I see some guy standing by the green, and he throws his arms up in the air, and my ball happens to hit the flagstick and drops into the hole for a two."

With momentum and a little luck, Oakley qualified on the number to join just seven others to make it through. While overwhelmed with emotion, Oakley had to compete in a playoff for seeding purposes - the importance of which he was unfamiliar with.

On the first playoff hole, Oakley made a birdie to secure the fourth seed which allowed him to get an entire season's worth of starts on the European Senior Tour. 

In 2004, Oakley began playing full-time in Europe and while his position at 21 on the money list helped him confirm internally that he belonged, it wasn’t good enough. Only the top-20 on the money list were exempt into the Major, again, forcing Oakley to qualify. 

While not pleased at the time, Oakley traveled to Portstewart Golf Club to attempt to qualify. After the first nine holes of pushing his bag, Oakley was approached by a local caddie who told him that he was a friend of his brother who was staying at his house and offered to caddie for him. 

Oakley brought him on the bag for the final nine holes, and with two holes to play, the conditions completely switched to 40-mile-an-hour winds. 

"It was impossible to play in," recalled Oakley. "I played the last two holes in par, bogey to shoot 72, and nobody, maybe one guy, qualified in the afternoon. I got under that and out of that mess before the afternoon and qualified."

With no time to celebrate, Oakley had one day to prepare for the biggest event of his life. Going into the first day, Oakley has one goal in mind. 

"My intent was, let's make the cut; if you make the cut, you make a check, and you will maintain your position on the European order of merit," explained Oakley. 

Oakley was undoubtedly on his way to cashing a check. After rounds of 73, 68, and 73 in horrible conditions, Oakley was the 54-hole leader heading into the final round. 

At this time, the nerves had not set in for Oakley. He still did his regular nightly routine and managed to sleep on the lead just fine. It was not until the morning that it began to set in, nearly throwing up before teeing off. 

Still undeterred by the situation, Oakley felt he belonged, even playing with the guys he had idolized. On the 14th hole, facing a long par-3 into a galling wind, Oakley hit a 3-wood to about 35-40 feet and drilled the birdie putt. 

"Suddenly, my name goes up there on the leaderboard, and I'm 5-under, and the closest guy to me was 2-under," explained Oakley. "I'm thinking, Pete Oakley, you could even win this thing."

Oakley proceeded to par the 15th and bogey the 16th hole, bringing him to 4-under total. At the same time, Tom Kite and Eduardo Romera made birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to get into the clubhouse at 3-under. 

Knowing his position, Oakley managed to par the par-5, 17th hole, leaving only the 450-yard, par-4 18th hole left to play. 

After his tee ball ended left of a fairway bunker, Oakley was left with 195 yards to a green protected by a "gaping" green side bunker short and left, where his ball ultimately finished. 

While he could not see the pin, Oakley's bunker shot ended 10 feet from the hole, a putt away from winning the Senior British Open. 

"I saw a big scoreboard up there, Tom Kite, Eduardo Romero, and me sitting on top, and I had it by one shot," said Oakley, walking to his ball on the green surrounded by the gallery. 

Oakley and his caddie accounted for a small left-to-right break, and the rest is forever part of golf history. 

"Pandemonium breaks loose, and I just can't believe I had just won the Senior British Championship; I am now a Major winner," exclaimed Oakley.