Duke golfer Michael Quagliano qualified for this week's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif., by shooting an 11-under at a sectional qualifier last week, joining Duke alumni Joe Ogilvie and Kevin Streelman in the field. The Chronicle was given permission by mgagolf.org to print Quagliano's running diary, as told to Dan Berger.
Tuesday: Culture shock
Yesterday was the first day that Torrey Pines really felt like a U.S. Open site. I went out and played the back nine this morning, and the crowds were much larger than they were over the weekend, which of course means I get to sign more autographs! I signed somewhere between 50 and 100 today, and I really enjoy signing for kids.
Security was also tightened up-my parents have to go through metal detectors to get on the grounds, and were told they can't bring a backpack or mobile phone out on the course.
As for me, I played alone for the first seven holes until we bumped into Rob Rashell, a pro from Washington. He had a group with him that consisted of his coach and his caddie, who all were affiliated with University of Washington. My current coach at Duke, O.D. Vincent, has ties to those guys, so it was fun to play a couple holes with them.
Major development of the day: I'm thinking about playing with metal spikes for the first time. The reason is that the grass is cut so perfectly and I want to have as much stability and traction as possible.
I'm also learning that I definitely need to stay out of the greenside bunkers as much as possible. With all the new sand they put in, just about any ball that you hit into those bunkers ends up plugged.
Wednesday: Finding water on purpose
I arrived for my 7:11 a.m. practice round tee time yesterday expecting to play with Retief Goosen and Ben Crane. Retief was there and greeted me on the tee, but Crane did not show up, and in his place was 34-year-old Soren Hanson, a European Tour player from Denmark. He's 28th on the European Tour Order of Merit this year, and has two career wins. Soren and I hit it off very well, especially since Retief was all business. He was very focused on his practice round and actually decided to stop after eight holes.
Soren and I carried on and played a full round, and I learned so much. Soren told me that the most pros don't beat themselves up too much during practice rounds or even keep score...they just use practice to get a lay of the land.
"Be loose, be relaxed and don't beat your body up too much," he said, and I followed his advice.
I didn't hit too many balls out of the rough, and generally I just dropped balls down in various spots that would give me an idea of how the course will play during the championship. It's less about shotmaking and more about course strategy.
When we reached the par-five 18th hole, the grandstand was nearly full, and Soren challenged me to two contests. The first was that we would try to hit the 573-yard hole in two shots (which I don't plan to do during the championship).
From 275 yards out, I hit what I thought was a great shot. It landed on the green beyond the flagstick, but then, U.S. Open conditions showed their teeth. My ball came to a stop, then began to roll back from behind the pin all the way down and into the water!
The crowd applauded when we tried those shots. But what made them laugh, roar and cheer was the next contest: skipping a ball across the pond in front of the green. Soren went first and hit a ball that skipped all the way across the water to the left of the green, rolled up the embankment and then back down and into the water.
The crowd was having a good time. Now it was my turn.
Soren gave me a couple tips on how to hit the shot, and I gave it a rip. The ball skipped four times and looked like it might make the green, but just before it reached the far end of the pond, it lost steam and disappeared.
It was amazing that I was able to even qualify for the U.S Open. I believe that if I continue to work hard and keep playing in events that allow me to challenge myself, I will be going down the correct path that will help me gain the experience I need so that some day, my play will enable me to belong.
And I'll definitely want another shot at skipping that ball across the pond!
-edited by Ben Cohen
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