Mid-Ams struggle in opening round of U.S. Open
Scott Harvey (right) and his caddie do a little strategizing after the round
ERIN, Wisconsin (June 15, 2017) -- The Mid-Ams have nothing to be embarrassed about, but today at Erin Hills they didn't play to their potential.
Both are smiling, and taking in the sights and sounds of the "National Open" (as Ben Hogan used to call it). But they will need to go out strong and post some red numbers tomorrow if they hope to play the weekend.
Hagestad birdied the second hole to briefly see red numbers next to his name, but after making bogey on the par-4 fourth, he recorded his only double-bogey on No. 6, the 253-yard par-3 that played the hardest on Thursday. It's one of the longest in U.S. Open history -- par 3s that is -- and the Newport Beach, Calif. native took four to get down from the front of the green.
He was 92', 6" after a 220-yard tee shot, in case you're wondering.
Hagestad (the 2016 U.S. Mid-Am champ) will try to improve on the 64% of the fairways and 44% of the greens he hit today when he tees it up Friday.
Scott Harvey, of North Carolina, is having a great year. After winning the Coleman Invitational this Spring, he qualified for the Open at Canoe Brook in New Jersey.
Today wasn't his best. Like Hagestad he had a double-bogey on one of the hardest holes -- the monstrous 526-yard 17th, which played second-hardest today -- and he hit exactly the same number of fairways and greens (9 and 8). The only difference in their rounds was that Harvey made one more bogey.
No single round of 77 or 78 is going to bring these Mid-Am stalwarts down, and we expect something better from the likely 2017 Walker Cup teammates when they tackle Erin Hills on Friday.
ABOUT THE
U.S. Open Golf Championship
The U.S. Open is the biggest of the 15 national
championships conducted by the USGA.
Open
to amateurs and professionals. Amateurs gain
entry via USGA win or runner-up finishes while having the opportunity
to qualify alongside non-exempt professionals in an 18-hole "Local' qualifying followed
by 36-hole "Final" qualifying which is affectionately known as golf's longest day.
Highly-ranked amateurs will be exempted past the 18-hole Local Qualifying. See the
USGA website for details. And if you are exempt on any level be sure to apply by the deadline anyway.
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the
most rigorous, yet fair, examination of golf
skills, testing all forms of shot-making. The
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consideration of 14 different factors.
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