As a career longshoreman, Tim Bogue has plenty of experience when it comes to sleeping in a car.

His words.

The Californian channeled that experience into an 8-under 64 in Tuesday’s open qualifier for the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open, earning a PGA TOUR Champions tee time for the second straight week.

It came after arriving in Syracuse, New York, after midnight – still facing a 90-mile commute to Tuesday’s qualifying site. He procured a rental van and drove to the course, then slept a few hours in the van, next to the maintenance shed at The Links at Hiawatha Landing.

“Thank goodness the guy at (the rental counter) gave me a van,” quipped Bogue. “As a longshoreman, we sleep in our cars a lot, so I’ve got a lot of practice.”

Bogue has worked as a longshoreman in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1999, loading and unloading cargo on the Oakland docks. He’s required to work 1,300 hours per year to keep his pension and medical benefits, which computes to 32.5 workweeks of 40 hours.

Bogue spends much of the rest of his time on the golf course. He’s a regular at skins games in the area, and in the past year he has begun coaching kids and adults.

He has tried his best to break onto PGA TOUR Champions as well, akin to the likes of Mark Johnson in the mid-2000s, a fellow Californian and beer delivery driver who earned PGA TOUR Champions status via Q-School and won the 2005 Hoag Classic, punctuated by a hole-out eagle on the 72nd hole. Johnson was affectionately known as “Beer Man.”

Bogue has advanced to Final Stage of PGA TOUR Champions Q-School on three separate occasions but has failed to break through; his best finish is T56 in 2019. PGA TOUR Champions Q-School is one of the most stringent tests in professional golf, as only the top five finishers earn exempt status, with Nos. 6-30 exempt directly into open qualifiers.

Players who finish outside the top 30 must compete in pre-qualifiers to advance into open qualifying. Most pre-qualifiers occur a few days before the open qualifier, meaning that a few nights of hotel expenses are required to navigate both stages successfully and advance to a tournament.

Last week, Bogue earned a spot at the Boeing Classic with a 6-under 66 in the open qualifier – after carding 3-under 69 in a pre-qualifier four days prior.

By qualifying for the Boeing Classic, Bogue gained direct access into open qualifiers for the remainder of 2022, without needing to pre-qualify. This meant more feasible travel as well as better odds to gain starts.

After finishing T68 last week outside Seattle – his first PGA TOUR Champions start since his debut at the 2018 U.S. Senior Open – Bogue decided to hit the road in chase of the dream.

After signing for a final-round 75 outside Seattle, Bogue drove 14 hours through the night to his home in Windsor, California, then got a few hours of sleep before a flight from San Francisco to Syracuse via a layover in Charlotte. The connection was delayed, and he didn’t arrive in upstate New York until Monday had turned to Tuesday.

That’s when the instincts kicked in. He went bogey-free in Tuesday’s qualifier, recording eight birdies and 10 pars, to finish three strokes clear of Ricardo Gonzalez for the first of four available spots. (Bogue and Gonzalez are joined in this week’s field by Andrew Johnson and Michael Muehr, each carding 3-under 69 and surviving a 7-for-2 playoff at the open qualifier).

Bogue is embracing the opportunity. After making just one PGA TOUR Champions start in four years since turning 50, he’s set for his second in as many weeks.

He remained loose in early-week preparation at En-Joie GC, demonstrating a deft iron game and compiling plenty of birdies.

“Who knows,” said Bogue of his goals moving forward. “Just see how far I can go. The overall goal, of course, is to be out here, but it is tough. These guys are really good. I’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m going to give it my best.”

Bogue finished T29 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s San Jose Open in October 1998, but he transitioned into a new career the following year. He has no regrets. He has enjoyed the work, all the while keeping his game sharp for whenever the opportunity might present itself.

“it’s a great blue-collar job,” said Bogue of his career as a longshoreman.

An ethos akin to his road traveled to upstate New York.