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14 year old in US Open
Posted on 6/12/12 at 8:45 am
Posted on 6/12/12 at 8:45 am
Posted on 6/12/12 at 8:58 am to patnuh
quote:
14-year-old making history at The Olympic Club
By Nick Masuda, Golfweek
San Francisco – Locker No. 483.
That will be the home of Andy Zhang's gear this week at The Olympic Club.
"The whole thing?" Zhang asked an official in the players’ locker room. "This whole locker is mine?"
He then looked around and saw the names of Tim Clark, K.J. Choi, Alex Cejka and major winner Stewart Cink etched on the lockers next to him.
Forgive the 14-year-old for being a bit wide-eyed, but he was in a state of shock – he just became the youngest player in the history of the U.S. Open.
"(When I got the call), my mind just went blank," said Zhang, who will replace Paul Casey in the 156-player field after Casey withdrew due to injury. "Then, I said ‘Wait! What? I am in the U.S. Open?’ ”
"I almost teared up," said caddie Christopher Gold, who has worked with Zhang since January.
Zhang was the second alternate coming into the week, sitting behind University of Texas star Jordan Spieth. But, in the span of an hour, Spieth would get a spot after Brandt Snedeker withdrew with a rib injury, giving Zhang hope that he would land a spot.
Now, he'll be teeing it up at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning with Bubba Watson and Aaron Baddeley.
"Why not? You can play with whomever you want. Why not Bubba?" said Gold.
"Bubba is the Masters champ, I can't think of anyone better to play with," added Zhang.
Zhang plays out of Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., and has lived in the United States since he turned 10, picking up a pair of junior-golf wins over the past four years.
"There is zero pressure on him," said Gold. "This kid is the best player I have ever seen at 14. He hits shots that pros can't hit. And, with little pressure this week, I think he could do very well."
Zhang spent the bulk of his childhood in Beijing, picking up clubs for the first time at the age of 6 and beginning to work with Coach Mr. An - a Korean - at the age of 7. His mother, Hui Li, recognized his talent and brought him to the U.S. to participate in a handful of tournaments when he was 10, and they haven't looked back since.
"My mom quit her job when I was eight and just was there to support me ever since," said Zhang. "I wouldn't be here without her."
While mom is by Andy's side in San Francisco, Zhang's father returned to China only two days ago, lamenting to his son, "Go to San Francisco, but you probably won't get in."
"He'll be following me on TV, I guess," said Zhang, again distracted by a spread of Snickers bars and sandwiches.
"I can take one of these? Really?"
For Zhang, it was like being a kid in a candy store.
I notice they don't list his handicap or mention him winning any previous tournaments. It's a fun, feel good story but I think he's going to shoot 90+ each day. (Still, it'll be about 15 strokes better than I could do on this course.)
This post was edited on 6/12/12 at 9:02 am
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:04 am to ClientNumber9
Holy crap that's awesome
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:10 am to ClientNumber9
quote:
I notice they don't list his handicap or mention him winning any previous tournaments. It's a fun, feel good story but I think he's going to shoot 90+ each day. (Still, it'll be about 15 strokes better than I could do on this course.)
In all fairness to him and others who qualified for the open, you have to have very very serious skills and game to qualify at any of the sectional qualifying sites. He'll probably shoot in the 80s both days but he has to be a helluva even to get into the alternate pool.
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:14 am to patnuh
Awesome feel good story. Like Rookie of the Year type shite.
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:15 am to Govt Tide
Apparently his swing speed is around 114 MPH or something ridiculous
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:19 am to ClientNumber9
quote:apparently he qualified
Zhang was the second alternate coming into the week, sitting behind University of Texas star Jordan Spieth
to him
ETA: qualified as in earned the right to be playing in this circumstance
This post was edited on 6/12/12 at 9:21 am
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:47 am to Govt Tide
quote:
In all fairness to him and others who qualified for the open, you have to have very very serious skills and game to qualify at any of the sectional qualifying sites. He'll probably shoot in the 80s both days but he has to be a helluva even to get into the alternate pool.
This is 100% true. Last Saturday I played the course here in Memphis that they held the qualifier on. I shot 85. The low round here was 65 by Stephen Ames, who followed that with a 68 in rnd 2. My best friend plays to about a 1 handicap and could only muster a 76. You have to have some serious game to go low enough both days to qualify.
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:55 am to ClientNumber9
Yeah why don't they list how he qualified. That seems like it would be a hell of a story.
Posted on 6/12/12 at 9:56 am to DovaVol
quote:
This is 100% true. Last Saturday I played the course here in Memphis that they held the qualifier on. I shot 85. The low round here was 65 by Stephen Ames, who followed that with a 68 in rnd 2. My best friend plays to about a 1 handicap and could only muster a 76. You have to have some serious game to go low enough both days to qualify.
Bobby Wyatt who is a sophomore on Alabama's golf team followed up an opening round of 71 with a 67 in his second round and that was only good enough to get him into a 3 man playoff for the last remaining spot. That right there puts just how hard it is to qualify for a U.S. Open in perspective. Probably the single hardest thing to do in all of sports. Wyatt's teammate, Hunter Hamrick, had to win a local qualifier (like 4 spots available for about 70 golfers) just to make it to the Memphis qualifier. He shot 67 in both rounds at Memphis to qualify.
Posted on 6/12/12 at 10:00 am to beaverfever
quote:
Yeah why don't they list how he qualified. That seems like it would be a hell of a story.
He lost in a playoff in the FL qualifier
-That Memphis track was tough. The fairways were the narrowest I've ever played...and on top of that had trees basically lining them all the way to the green. You were punished for not hitting the fairways, and when you did if you weren't in the right spot; you were punished with an equally impossible approach. The latter is what killed me, I kept it in the fairway; but kept leaving myself horrible looks from the fairway. Got on the bogey train on the back and couldn't get off it.
This post was edited on 6/12/12 at 10:05 am
Posted on 6/12/12 at 10:35 am to ClientNumber9
we better watch out, we have already seen what the golf factories in South Korea have done to women's golf
I am sure the men are going to come fast and furious at some point as well
I am sure the men are going to come fast and furious at some point as well
Posted on 6/12/12 at 10:51 am to ClientNumber9
Wow, this is a great story and would love to see him make the cut.
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