John Peterson has had one of the strangest and most likable careers in American golf, and his Instagram tells it without any polish. The Fort Worth native, who posts as @jpetepga, won an NCAA individual title at LSU, finished in the top five at a U.S. Open as a rookie, played the PGA Tour, walked away from it, and now runs a garage door company back home. His verified account mixes all of that with family life, farming, flying and a running love affair with LSU football.
- Name: John Peterson
- Instagram: @jpetepga
- Niche: Golf (former PGA Tour player) and the family garage door business
- City: Fort Worth, Texas
- Followers: 24.8K (as of October 2026)
What he posts and how
The bio is short and tells you where his priorities sit: “DAD” comes first, followed by his company, Westoplex Garage, and Fort Worth, Texas. The story highlights fill in the rest of the picture with albums called Farmin, Flying, Westoplex, Bluejack and Giveaways. It is the feed of a former tour pro who now lives a full life outside the ropes.
Golf is still the backbone of the grid. Recent posts show him representing the United States at The Bridges Cup at Trump Turnberry in Scotland, posing with the American team in navy sweaters and red caps, and joining the YouTube series Your Golf Tour as a wildcard alongside former PGA Tour winner Wesley Bryan. Between those, he posts LSU football road trips with his brothers and his father, from Baton Rouge to Oxford, usually signed off with “Geaux Tigers.”

Why it works
The account works because the story behind it is genuinely unusual, and Peterson tells it with a sense of humor. He played college golf at LSU, where he was a three-time All-American and won the 2011 NCAA Division I individual championship, plus the Jones Cup Invitational that same year. He turned pro in 2011 and made a splash almost immediately: at the 2012 U.S. Open he made a hole-in-one on the 13th hole during a third round played alongside his mentor and fellow LSU alum David Toms, and he finished tied for fourth. That result earned him a spot in the 2013 Masters, where he became the first active Web.com Tour member to play Augusta.
He also gave golf one of its most memorable oddball moments. At the 2015 CIMB Classic in Malaysia, sitting in last place, he opened his final round with a running Happy Gilmore swing off the first tee. He shot 66 that day, and the PGA Tour did not fine him. When Happy Gilmore 2 came out, he reposted the clip and called it the only Happy Gilmore off the first tee in a PGA Tour event, ever. After failing to regain his card through the 2018 Web.com Tour Finals, he retired, announced a comeback in April 2019 after watching that year’s Masters, and eventually moved into business. In 2025, competing as an amateur, he reached a four-man playoff for the last U.S. Open spot at Springfield Country Club in Ohio and ended up first alternate for Oakmont. His post about it joked that he had not seen 273 unread text messages in a long time.
The featured post below comes from his Your Golf Tour appearance. It shows Peterson in a light blue polo and a Westoplex Garage cap, standing on a tee with a fellow player, both leaning on their drivers with a tree-lined fairway stretching out behind them. In the caption he thanks Wesley Bryan for the invitation and Pursell Farms for hosting.
What athletes and creators can learn from this profile
First, your career does not have to follow a straight line for people to care. Peterson’s audience follows him for the twists, from tour card to garage doors and back to a U.S. Open playoff. Second, personality travels further than polish. The Happy Gilmore swing is still the clip people search for, years later. Third, let your other worlds into the feed. Farming, flying, family and college football make the golf posts feel more human, and they give fans more reasons to stick around between tournaments. Finally, tie the account to something you are building. Tagging the family business in the bio turns attention into something useful off the course.
Frequently asked questions
Who is John Peterson?
John Peterson is an American golfer from Fort Worth, Texas. He won the 2011 NCAA individual championship at LSU, finished tied for fourth at the 2012 U.S. Open, played on the PGA Tour, and now runs Westoplex Garage, a garage door company in Fort Worth.
How many Instagram followers does John Peterson have?
John Peterson has about 24.8K followers on his verified Instagram account as of October 2026.
What is his content about?
His feed covers competitive golf, including team events and golf YouTube appearances, along with his family, his garage door business, farming, flying and LSU football trips with his brothers and father.
John Peterson’s profile shows that a real story told with a sense of humor beats a perfectly curated feed. If you are an athlete or creator ready to put your own story in front of more people, check out our options for Instagram followers and give your next big moment a bigger crowd.
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