Jon Rahm’s withdrawal on Tuesday closed his chances of winning another U.S. Open title but opened a new door for Jackson-Suba.
Suber, who attended Ole Miss and missed the cut in four straight Korn Ferry Tour events, took Rahm’s place as the first alternate at Pinehurst No. 2 and has made the most of the opportunity ever since.
The former University of Mississippi Rebel posted an impressive 1-under 71 in his major championship debut while playing in a leading group with Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama – a remarkable accomplishment for anyone who has only played two events on the PGA Tour.
But what was most notable about Suber’s performance wasn’t the round itself, but the rollercoaster of events he underwent to become an alternate for this year’s contestants.
Suber shot seven under par in the 36-hole final qualifying round in Rockville, Md. It was a good score, but it wasn’t enough: He missed the U.S. Open by one stroke and instead had to play in a three-and-two playoff to determine the two alternate spots.
“In that qualifying round, I had a 6-foot putt on the last hole and just missed it to go into a playoff. [for a final spot]” , Sabha explained.
“I was pretty down going into the playoff, then I made a 50-foot birdie putt on the third hole and my opponent missed a five-foot putt. It’s been a rollercoaster week again. I heard I had a chance to play, and I was almost going to be the last one left in the field, but with how things went at the Memorial, I ended up being No. 1 on the alternate list. It’s just been a rollercoaster week.”
He then arrived in Pinehurst, North Carolina, on Sunday evening, hoping someone would back out and give him a chance. If no one showed up, he’d booked a flight to Wichita, Kansas, on Tuesday evening to play in a Korn Ferry Tour tournament this week.
But in a strange twist of fate, one of the biggest stars in professional golf made Suber’s hopes a reality.
“I was on the eighth hole and someone told me Rahm was going to withdraw. I still wasn’t sure but I started to panic,” Suber said.
“The eighth and ninth holes were not very productive in the practice round. As I got to the ninth hole, the announcements started to come on and my phone started to ring. Everyone was asking me if I was available, so I immediately called Reese at the USGA to try and find out what was going on and if I was available.
“It was just a really amazing moment, especially finding out I was going to be out on the golf course playing in the tournament and being able to call my family and all the people around me who have been so supportive of me. It was a really special moment.”
After the USGA released this year’s tournament brackets, Rahm withdrew, leaving Suber to compete alongside Spieth and Matsuyama.
Best of all, Suber beat both of them on Thursday. Ending in the red Meanwhile, the two major champions failed to make par.
“I spoke to Hideki and his caddie a little bit and I spoke to Jordan. [his caddy] Michael [Greller]”I talked to them and my caddy talked to them,” Suber said of playing with Spieth and Matsuyama.
“There wasn’t a lot of chatter, but there were a few conversations here and there and it was fun talking to them. They’re nice people.”
Though Suber managed to post a deficit, Thursday was still a day of ups and downs much like the rollercoaster he’s been experiencing recently.
Suber had par, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie over his first five holes, finishing at even par after five holes in a tense but entertaining way to start the U.S. Open.
He then got a birdie on the par-3 ninth hole thanks to a great tee shot that landed four feet off the stick, followed by another birdie on the shorter par-4 13th hole.
Suber then dropped two strokes on the 14th and 15th holes, but recovered with a birdie on the 523-yard par-4 16th hole. Just like the first few holes and the last few weeks, Suber enjoyed a rollercoaster ride over the final nine holes.
“I’ve always believed I could do this. I don’t know if I can actually do it, but I feel like I’ve always known this was in me,” Suber said.
“Nothing in life is certain, so I didn’t know if it was going to happen, but I was going to give it my all. I’ve worked hard to get here and I feel like I need to continue to work hard and stay humble.”
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
