Local Golfers Face Tough Challenges at Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. – Ryan McCormick and James Nicholas, the local hopes, both survived the open qualifiers and were preparing for the weekend at Oakmont. On Friday, they faced the same critical putt on hole 18, both needing to make it to stay in contention.
With about 15 feet to the pin placed on the right side of the flag, they both missed. As they walked off the green after the 18th, it seemed they would finish the day at 7 over par.
This was just hours before the cut number would be determined, so they each went their separate ways, hoping for the best.
Ultimately, they were hanging on the hope that the cut would drop to 7 over, but some groups were still finishing due to fading light.
McCormick, hailing from Middletown, New Jersey, started the day consistently and ended with a score of 77. Meanwhile, Nicholas from Scarsdale began at 1 under but finished with a 78.
After missing a birdie putt on 18, McCormick was visibly frustrated, holding onto his putter longer than he wanted after that miss.
Shortly after, Nicholas also missed a par putt from the same spot and tossed his putter in annoyance.
“I knew Pat was coming in,” Nicholas remarked, acknowledging the pressure of the moment.
McCormick was uncertain about his standing. “I didn’t know. I didn’t see the score,” he mentioned, asking his caddie if he needed to make a 3 at 18, to which the iffy response was “probably.”
Both players endured challenging holes during the round. For Nicholas, hole 4 proved to be particularly brutal, resulting in a quadruple bogey after a tough lie near the bunker.
McCormick faced his issues on the 17th, where he found himself in heavy rough after a poor tee shot, leading to a double bogey despite hitting a second shot onto the green.
“We anticipated that could happen,” McCormick said, referring to the tricky shots required. “It’s a challenging course. You’re bound to get punished here.”
Nicholas joked, “I think I’ve become Oakmont,” reflecting on the difficulty of the course.
He started with a rough front nine, shooting 10 over with a double bogey and four bogeys. Nevertheless, he rebounded on the back nine with birdies on holes 12, 13, 14, and 17.
“This course is tough but fair,” Nicholas stated. “It’s a difficult test, but it’s not unfair.” Regardless of the scores, he couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
“I’m living my dream,” he shared. “Playing in a championship, the U.S. Open—it’s something you dream about as a kid. I just hope it’s not over.”
Indeed, it has been quite a week for Nicholas, who threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Pirates game on Monday. “The USGA just asked me, and I thought, ‘Are you sure you have the right guy?'” he recalled, humorously noting the presence of famed golfer Tommy Fleetwood nearby.
In terms of other golfers making the cut, Max Glazerman from Short Hills, New Jersey, managed to shoot an impressive 3-under 67, landing him at 3 over for the tournament. Cameron Young, on the other hand, shot 4-over 74 and found himself at 4 over overall.
Young felt exhausted after struggling to hit only 1 of 14 fairways on Friday, humorously expressing his feelings to his father, who used to be a head pro at Sleepy Hollow CC.
