15-year-old Cole Hammer makes the U.S. Open field
Cole Hammer is:
1. Not a made up name.
2. A really great name.
3. The name of a 15-year-old kid who is going to play in his first U.S. Open next week at Chambers Bay in Washington.
Hammer earned his way into the field of the year’s second major by getting through sectional qualifying on Monday in Dallas. Playing in a field at Northwood Club that included a number of pros, including several PGA Tour winners, Hammer shot 64-68 in the 36-hole qualifier to finish alone in second place and as one of six players to punch a U.S. Open ticket from that event. In that afternoon 68, Hammer birdied four of his final five holes.
Hammer will be the fourth-youngest U.S. Open contestant in the tournament’s century-plus history.
“This means the world to me,” Hammer told the Dallas Morning News. “I’ve dreamed about it my whole life. It’s going to be awesome.”
The Dallas qualifier Hammer competed in was one of 10 held nationwide on Monday that determined 58 spots in the U.S. Open. Qualifying happened at just the right time for Hammer, who has grown 4 inches in the last 10 months. The growth spurt, which included packing on 15 pounds to get to a massive 125 lbs, helped him hit the ball further and keep up with the competition.
The teen not only knows what he’s doing next week, but he also has already picked out a college. He has verbally committed to play golf at the University of Texas – just as Jordan Spieth did – when he gets out of high school in 2018.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
