U.S. Open: golfdigest.com

"The Best Golf Experience Of My Life"

Behind the scenes of a dream week with U.S. Open qualifer Mark McCormick

Text and Photos by Alan Pittman

One of the more unlikely participants at this week's U.S. Open was Mark McCormick, the head professional at Suburban Golf Club in Union, N.J. McCormick, 49, had been unsuccessful in 24 previous tries, but on his 25th and likely last attempt, he fulfilled his dream by earning one of four spots in a 73-player field at the U.S. Sectional Qualifier in New Jersey. The excitement was tempered somewhat by the fact his son Ryan, a sophomore at St. John's University and winner of this year's New Jersey and New York City amateurs, narrowly missed qualifying in his first attempt. I followed McCormick with a camera at The Olympic Club to document his week and find out what it's like for a non-touring pro to play in our national championship. Although McCormick shot 82-77 to miss the cut, there were lots of thrills, like playing a practice round with his favorite golfer, Phil Mickelson, and having the galleries roar after making a birdie.

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What's better than having a locker with your own U.S. Open nameplate? Seeing that Phil Mickelson, 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, and 2011 champ Rory McIlroy have lockers next to you.