Sam Stevens Finds New Perspective at the U.S. Open

Sam Stevens seems to have found the shift in mindset he was looking for as he entered the U.S. Open. After completing the first round of the tournament on Thursday, he openly acknowledged this change.

Arriving at Shinnecock Hills, Stevens faced a string of disappointments, missing the cut at the Memorial Tournament and landing 42nd or worse in his last three events. This experience prompted him to have a significant revelation.

“My attitude was really poor, and it only complicates things on the golf course,” he commented. “So last week, I spent some time at home, trying to keep a positive outlook and actually enjoy my time playing.”

Despite facing challenges, Stevens finished the first round leading the clubhouse with a score of 2 under par. This came after fog disrupted the start of his round and caused a two-hour delay.

The Fort Worth, Texas native hasn’t yet clinched a PGA Tour victory, but he’s off to a solid start this year. He’s participated in nearly all of his 13 events, placing fifth at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March and sixth at the American Express in January.

As part of his mindset shift, Stevens realized he needed to ease the pressure he was applying to himself. He mentioned gaining “a bit of perspective” during his week off.

“Maybe I set my expectations too high,” he reflected. “When they aren’t met, I tend to get more frustrated than I should. At least my club isn’t broken yet, so that’s reassuring.”

He noted the length of the season; it’s easy to feel fatigued and perhaps not maintain the best attitude. During his round, Stevens recorded birdies on holes 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, and 17, though he did slip up with two bogeys, including a double bogey on the 10th hole.