Nick Saban calls Lee Hodges to congratulate him on 3M Open victory

Nick Saban tends to be a pretty busy individual around this time of year. But the legendary head coach snuck in some time to call Lee Hodges, the former Alabama golfer who claimed his first PGA Tour tournament win over the weekend.

Hodges hoisted the trophy at the 3M Open, carding a -24 for the tournament and defeating the field by seven shots. It was an impressive run for the 28-year-old, who had just two top-10 finishes before this past weekend’s event.

After Hodges secured his first victory, he received a call from Saban, who knows a thing or two about big wins. The head coach wanted to congratulate the former Alabama star.

“Hey, Lee, how ya doing buddy?” Saban started. “Congratulations. Yeah, that’s fantastic. Had a great one, huh?”

Hodges then responded by saying, “Yeah, there’s not many times when you win by seven, so it was pretty fun.

“I usually watch it at night and I was rooting for you,” Saban said.

It’s all family at Alabama 💯

Coach Saban called Lee Hodges to congratulate him on his first victory @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/ZsTHLAX58K

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2023

Saban is no stranger to PGA Tour stars. He’s known to have a great relationship with another former Crimson Tide golfer and two-time major champion Justin Thomas.

Saban’s phone call was just part of the surprise for Hodges over the weekend. His former golf coach at Alabama, Jay Seawell, flew in from Tuscaloosa for the final round of the 3M Open.

Hodges had no idea Seawell had the plan to make the trip.

“I’m just proud to be from Alabama. I mean, it’s unbelievable, the support I get from home, Coach Seawell, I didn’t see him until right now,” Hodges told CBS. “I just saw my buddy Robbie’s here. Man, I’m just happy everybody’s here and everybody back home is going insane.

“This has been a dream week. I’ve got the best caddie in the world, I’ve got the best wife in the world. I’ve got — Mom and Dad, sorry that you all aren’t here. I wish you were. I’ve got the best of everybody. I mean, I’ve got the best team in the whole world and they work so hard, and I couldn’t do without them.”

As Hodges was on the way to his first PGA Tour victory, Seawell had nothing but positive things to say about his former golf star.

“He is really good. I think he’ll be out here 20 years,” Seawell said of Hodges during a CBS interview. “He’s a better person than golfer. … I think he’s just a special person.”