Preston Summerhays Impresses In First Major Tournament Round At 120th US Open Championship
Sep 17, 2020, 1:04 PM | Updated: 1:20 pm
(Photo: Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – With his dad on the bag Preston Summerhays looked calm and composed walking around the historic Winged Foot Golf Club as the youngest amateur in the field at the 120th US Open.
It was also his first major tournament. One could only imagine the butterflies and nerves in which Summerhays was battling.
All things considering, Summerhays performed as only Summerhays could in debut. He finished the first round with a final score of 72, two-over-par.
Preston Summerhays and @TonyFinauGolf used to play for milkshakes.🥤
Now, Uncle Tony is welcoming him to the U.S. Open. pic.twitter.com/Cb5n1QUElh
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 16, 2020
Front Nine
His morning began on the 10th tee box, a daunting 214-yard par 3 which he would ultimately bogey. However, a bounce-back birdie on 11 to pull him back to even seemed to have settled the youngster.
He would bogey 17 to make the turn at one-over-par.
Preston Summerhays opens with bogey on par-3 10th @usopengolf
— Real Golf Radio (@RealGolf) September 17, 2020
Back Nine
Immediately following the turn, Summerhays double-bogeyed the first hole and quickly found himself at three-over-par.
With dad, Boyd Summerhays, on the bag the following four holes he was able to par before finishing his round with a birdie on six to conclude his first major tournament round of golf at just two-over-par.
Winged Foot Golf Club is known to many as one of the more challenging golf courses in the world. The last major tournament that Winged Foot hosted was the US Open in 2006 when Geoff Ogilvy won the tournament with a final score of five-over-par.
In The Mix
Remarkably, Justin Thomas finished his first round with a 65, five-under-par despite the challenging conditions.
If Summerhays can muster putting together a similar round tomorrow it is likely the youngest amateur in the field makes the cut which would be a remarkable achievement.
Summerhays, 18, qualified for the US Open following his impressive victory at last year’s U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Since then, Summerhays has continued to excel and develop into a very impressive golfer who has a long professional future ahead of him.
The future of golf is in good hands.
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