Over the past year, long-haired, party-anthem musician Andrew W.K. has improbably morphed into a cult hero in Pittsburgh\u00a0after his 2001 hit, \u201cParty Hard,\u201d became the Penguins\u2019 official goal song.<\/p>\n
This week, another member of his family is trying to make his own indelible mark in Western Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Patrick Wilkes-Krier, Andrew\u2019s younger brother, is competing in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club as a sectional qualifier.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think a lot of people have made the connection until today,\u201d Wilkes-Krier, 32, said. \u201cI was aware of it. I had told a few friends I met here that are Penguins fans that my brother was the one who made the song that\u2019s played during games. It\u2019s a funny coincidence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite Andrew\u2019s strange and sudden association with the area, Wilkes-Krier\u00a0said his brother\u2019s schedule won\u2019t allow him to attend the tournament.<\/p>\n
Separated by 4\u00bd years, the two grew up together in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Wilkes-Krier\u00a0is currently an instructor at a local golf shop. The age gap often prevented them from getting in fights \u2014 \u201cwe had a typical big brother-little brother relationship,\u201d Wilkes-Krier\u00a0said \u2014 and from a young age, each fervently pursued their passion, with Patrick in sports and Andrew in music.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got some similar exposure and that helped shape our personalities,\u201d Wilkes-Krier\u00a0said. \u201cI think, at the core, we relate to each other very well just because we are so similar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though he doesn\u2019t possess his brother\u2019s fame, Wilkes-Krier\u00a0has his own remarkable story.<\/p>\n
After graduating from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., he chased a professional career, traveling across the country in his 2004 Subaru to play in tournaments to try to create a life for himself and his wife, Whitney. He endured that grind for eight years, but the time away from his family stung. He grew tired of chasing a dream that seemed increasingly unattainable. So, after discussing it with Whitney, they decided to move back to his hometown.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re playing poorly, and there are always times when that happens, it feels like a hopeless pursuit,\u201d Wilkes-Krier\u00a0said. \u201cAfter many years of doing it, it starts to take an emotional toll on everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
His career, though, wouldn\u2019t end there. When he wasn\u2019t teaching young golfers, he worked on his own game and kept trying to find a way back in the world he once knew. A breakthrough came early this month when he finished tied for second in a sectional qualifier in Springfield, Ohio, securing a spot at Oakmont this week.<\/p>\n
There has been a surreal quality to the past few days, which have included national TV interviews and practice rounds with the likes of Jordan Spieth and Jason Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been in this situation in my life, so I\u2019m going to approach it as best as I can,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For now, Wilkes-Krier\u00a0won\u2019t be heeding the message of his brother\u2019s song. After all, the biggest moment of his professional career awaits.<\/p>\n