The most compelling storylines heading into the opening rounds of this year's U.S. Open come from the amateur ranks.
Denny McCarthy
If McCarthy’s professional career looks anything like his amateur one, he’s a name to look out for, possibly beginning this week. While the recent UVa. grad placed a disappointing 29th at nationals, he showed flashes of brilliance in his senior campaign, including a school record-tying round of 63. He was also the first player in the history of the program to earn all-ACC honors all four years in Charlottesville. McCarthy qualified by shooting a 6-under 138 (70-68) at the Woodmont Country Club qualifier in Rockville, Maryland earlier this month.
(Getty Images/Butch Dill)
Getty Images/Butch Dill
Cole Hammer
The most popular name is likely to be Cole Hammer, not only a great sports moniker, but also one that belongs to a 15-year-old Texan, the third-youngest qualifier in the history of the tournament. If he gets close to sniffing the weekend, Hammer could steal the show.
(Getty Images/Ross Kinaird)
Getty Images/Ross Kinaird
Billy Hurley III
While Hurley is not technically an amateur, he qualified through the same meritocratic system as McCarthy, in the same qualifier, no less. The Naval Academy grad rose as high as a lieutenant before pursuing his golf career, and is headed back to the U.S. Open for the second consecutive year. The 33-year-old Leesburg, Virginia native finished 48th in 2014, his best major result as a professional. His best finish so far this year is a T-17 at the Valspar Championship in Florida back in March.
(Getty Images/Scott Halleran)
Lee McCoy
The University of Georgia product may have already made the loudest noise he’ll make all week, as this video he tweeted has become emblematic of the players’ frustration with the course.
(Getty Images/Scott Halleran)
Bryson DeChambeau
The individual national champion from the college ranks will make his U.S. Open debut, and will likely turn some heads in the Pacific Northwest, whether it’s his Newsies-style hat, his push cart, the fact that all of his irons are exactly the same length. But the SMU junior is more than a colorful sideshow — DeChambeau has finished in the top five in each of his last four events coming in.
(Getty Images/Todd Warshaw)
Getty Images/Todd Warshaw
Davis Riley
Voted the ALL-USA Boys Golf Player of the Year this week, Riley doesn’t even start at the University of Alabama until the fall. But he’ll take four straight Mississippi state high school titles, and an appearance in the U.S. Open, with him. Riley closed his senior season as strong as he could have hoped, firing a 9-under 63 to win the state tournament by six strokes.
(Getty Images/Ian MacNicol)
Getty Images/Ian MacNicol
Gunn Yang
The fiery, South Korean-born, San Diego State golfer burst onto the scene at the 2015 Masters, but failed to make the cut. He has played in a number of tour events this season after winning the U.S. Amateur title last year. Not bad for a kid who actually lost his golf scholarship at one point because of his poor play.
(Getty Images/Harry How)
WASHINGTON — While the golf world waits to see if Tiger Woods will right the ship, or to see if Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth become the new rivalry in the sport, the best storylines heading into the opening rounds of the 115th U.S. Open comes from the amateur ranks. Leading the charge among the compelling narratives is that of Georgetown Prep and University of Virginia graduate Denny McCarthy, who qualified through the local qualifier up in Rockville, Maryland.
This year’s field will feature 17 amateur qualifiers, the most seen at a U.S. Open since 1981. But there’s another amateur, or rookie, of sorts — the course itself. The Robert Trent Jones-designed Chambers Bay Course has never hosted any professional tournament, much less a major, and is less than a decade old, an infant by U.S. Open course standards. Players are already voicing their displeasure with how rock hard and fast the course is playing, which may make turn the conditions into a primary storyline this week.
Let’s hope not, though. There are plenty of good stories out there, especially among the amateur ranks. Flip through the slides to see some of the best.
