Michael Ordona was certain he wanted to propose to his girlfriend of 10 years last December. Lucky enough to be high school and college sweethearts at the University of La Verne in California, the 24-year-old wanted to start a new chapter with Esmeralda.
What he wasn’t certain about was everything that came after she said, “Yes.” He didn’t have the means to pay for a wedding.
But the proposal came one month prior to playing in the GOLFZON Tour Season 1 finals— GOLFZON’s major simulator golf tour event—at the PGA Show in Orlando this January. And he was confident that Golf Envy could get the job done. Meaning, he wouldn’t have to worry about the wedding cost.
“I said, ‘If we win $30,000, we could get married and have a wedding this summer,’” Ordona said.
Golf Envy got off to a hot start in the virtual golf tournament and defeated Tee Times from Detroit. After the final putt dropped, Ordona was still in shock.
“Did we just get that much money?” he asked himself, “It was surreal. And then realizing that the money is secured… that will help me with my future.”
GOLFZON Tour Season 2 individual qualifying has begun, and Ordona’s name is already at the top of the monthly qualifying leaderboard. Knowing that he can win up to $95,000—$75,000 for being part of the winning team and $10,000 in June and July each for posting the best score out of all the qualifiers across all host facilities—Ordona is determined to continue his momentum from the PGA Show.
“I told my fiancé I’m going to Golf Envy every day during the week and that I’m going to get $10,000 for us. She said, ‘Thank you.’ That’s not the response I was expecting,” he said.
The reason Esmeralda said ‘Thank you’ is because she knew he was putting in the effort for their lives.
“The ‘thank you’ hit me,” he said.
According to Ordona, “possibilities are endless” with the GOLFZON Tour prize money more than doubling from Season 1. From saving money to buy a house or car to continuing his professional golf journey, he knows this is a unique opportunity to uplift his life. His wedding is in July and he understands that life-changing money is at stake.
“It started one chapter. It allowed me to start my next chapter,” he said. “Very grateful to the GOLFZON Tour for giving golfers who want to compete, want to enjoy the competition, who want to go to the highest level, an opportunity.”
The quest will be tougher with participating facilities increasing from 12 to 72. Nearly 500 players have tried to qualify for their local GOLFZON facility. That means more fierce competition in this growing virtual golf and screen golf circuit. A college golfer himself who picked up the sport before he could remember swinging a club, Ordona welcomes the challenge and the competition—especially on an indoor golf stage—knowing the result will be sweeter if he can beat out a tougher field.
“Being introduced to that goal and that dream of playing at the highest level, I definitely appreciate it,” he said. “And I’m glad that I love the game still.”
Watch the full interview on YouTube to hear how a golf sim tour helped Michael Ordona turn a virtual win into a real-life celebration.