Amateurs stealing the spotlight ahead of U.S. Senior Open
Forget Steve Stricker, Ernie Els, and even Lee Westwood, who is making his PGA Tour Champions debut this week, at the U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club in Newport, Rhode Island. One of them may win the title at a great, historic venue, but let’s take a moment to celebrate some of the really cool stories of the amateurs who have made the field.
There are 19 amateurs teeing it up this week, which is impressive in its own right given that more than 3,000 golfers submitted entries for the 44th U.S. Senior Open, the third-most in the championship’s history. They were competing for about 75 available qualifier spots, with more than half the field having exemptions based on past performance and senior tour status.
David Schnider
David Schnider, president and CEO of shaftmaker Fujikura, played college golf at San Diego State University and has long been one of the industry’s top sticks. He once qualified for the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open. The 54-year-old shot 70 and survived a 4-for-1 playoff at a qualifying tournament last month at Goose Creek in California. It will be his third USGA Championship after previously competing in the 1997 U.S. Amateur and the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Schnider is bound for the U.S. Senior Open.
Trip Kuehne
Kuehne of Southlake, Texas, earned medalist honors at the Qualifier at Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York. He’s a past U.S. Mid Amateur champion and represented the U.S. on three Walker Cup teams. Kuehne is making his U.S. Senior Open debut.
Peter Vrdolyak
Peter Vrdolyak, a lawyer from Chicago, is making his U.S. Senior Open debut. After qualifying, Michael Jordan reached out to Ernie Els to ask if Vrdolyak could play a practice round with him.
Jody Fanagan
In 1995, Fanagan was teammates with Padraig Harrington at the Walker Cup. They won a match against Tiger Woods. Harrington joined the World Golf Hall of Fame while Fanagan is set to make his U.S. Senior Open debut. The old friends reunited for a practice round.
Gary Koch
At age 71, Gary Koch, a former PGA Tour pro turned television analyst, is coming out of retirement to compete in the U.S. Senior Open. He became the oldest qualifier in the championship’s history.
