A very cool honor was given to two Massachusetts natives to kick off U.S. Open
BROOKLINE -- The U.S. Open is taking place in Brookline, at a course steeped in golf history. The Country Club was home to one of the most iconic moments in golf, when local 20-year-old amateur Francis Ouimet defeated the titans of the golf world to win the U.S. Open in 1913.
The influence of the local ties can be found everywhere this weekend in Brookline, and the tournament honored that element by selecting two local golfers to hit the first shots of the tournament.
Early Thursday morning on the first tee, Michael Thorbjornsen -- who grew up in Wellesley and, like Ouimet in 1913, is a 20-year-old amateur -- teed off at 6:45 a.m. to begin the tournament.
Over on the 10th tee at the same time, 57-year-old Holden native Fran Quinn teed off on the back nine.
The two players are the lone Massachusetts natives in the field, and they're both at opposite ends of their careers.
Quinn won the Massachusetts Amateur in 1986 and competed in the U.S. Open in 1992, 1994, and 1996. He earned his spot in this tournament through qualifying tournaments.
Thorbjornsen is a rising junior at Stanford. He qualified along with Quinn at the Old Oaks Country Club and Century Country Club in New York last month.
"It definitely meant a lot," Thorbjornsen said this week when asked what it meant to qualify for this tournament. "I think it was five years ago or so when I found out that U.S. Open was going to be played here, and at that moment I made it my goal to qualify for this event."
Thorbjornsen said he had only played the course at The Country Club once before, as it's a rather exclusive club. But he's certainly well aware of the history of the course -- even if he wasn't around to witness the Americans' dramatic Ryder Cup victory in 1999.
"I know when people are talking about how cool it is -- I think it was the 1999 Ryder Cup, that whole experience," Thorbjornsen said. "I was definitely too young -- or I wasn't even born yet. But, yeah, it feels really cool to be here."
Thorbjornsen is also well aware of the victory by Ouimet that forever made The Country Club an iconic location. Though he's not necessarily aiming to be the next Francis Ouimet.
"My caddie and I, we went to the merchandise tent on Thursday or so, and we bought matching T-shirts. I think it was 1913 Francis -- it was a silhouette of Francis and his caddie, Eddie. Definitely trying to channel that energy this week," Thorbjornsen said. "I've watched 'The Greatest Game Ever Played' maybe eight times. One of my favorite movies. I think it's really cool the position that I'm in and how it emulates Francis a little bit, but I mean, I'm a different person than him. I'm going to try to do the same thing that he did and just hope for the best."
Quinn started his day with a par on the par-4 10th, before carding a birdie on the short par-3 11th. Thorbjornsen carded pars on his first two holes as well.
In a field full of the best golfers in the world, the locals are realistically unlikely to be hoisting the trophy on the 18th green on Sunday evening. But their mere presence at the tournament is something to be celebrated, and the honor given to both Quinn and Thorbjornsen to start the 122nd U.S. Open feels particularly appropriate for this venue and this tournament.
