US Open: English teenager Sam Horsfield qualifies for this week’s Oakmont major
Highly-rated Horsefield, 19, became the youngest British golfer ever to play in one of the American majors last year
ENGLISH teenager Sam Horsfield has shown lightning does strike twice, by earning a spot alongside the world’s top golfers at this week’s US Open for the second year in a row.
And on both occasions Horsfield has come through nerve-jangling sudden death play-offs at final qualifying, against seasoned professionals.
Horsfield, 19, was tipped as star of the future by Ian Poulter after they played together for the first time in Florida five year ago – and he is proving a shrewd judge.
Horfield’s family moved there from Manchester, and he has just completed his first year at the University of Florida, winning three big tournaments to pick up the Phil Mickelson Award for the top freshman on the US college circuit.
And he can expect personal congratulations from Mickelson at Oakmont, where the five time major champion will again bid to complete the career Grand Slam, after an agonising six runner-up finishes in the US Open.
But as one of the top amateurs in the world, rubbing shoulders with the game’s elite is a prospect that Horsfield does not find too daunting.
He explained: “Making it to Chambers Bay for last year’s US Open was a bit of a culture shock. But with that experience under my belt, I’m a lot more calm and composed about what’s in store this week.
“I’m good friends with Ian’s caddie, Terry Mundy, as well as Ian himself, and we had a long talk about what to expect, because they were there together the last time the US Open went to Oakmont, in 2007.
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“I played a couple of practice rounds with Ian last year, and it’s such a shame he’s missing this time with a foot injury, because he’s been very supportive.
“But I’ve arranged a practice round with Henrik Stenson, who also played in 2007 and is someone I’ve got to know quite well from playing with him at Lake Nona.
“I’m not setting any big targets for this week, apart from wanting to play better than I did at Chambers Bay.
“I made a lot of mistakes there by trying to force things, and I should have remembered that par really is your friend at the US Open. But it was a great experience and it has definitely helped me as member of the Florida Gators team.
“I feel very much at home here, but even though we came here when I was just five, I remember Manchester pretty well, and still go back to visit my grandparents and the rest of my family.
“My parents are both big Manchester United fans and still have strong accents, so I obviously feel English. And when my parents decided to move here, it was nothing to do with golf.
"We'd been on holiday in Orlando, the weather had been great, but then we went back to England the heater had broken down.
“My parents decided to come back to Orlando, see what it was like and we ended up living in a house backing on to the golf course. It was perfect really."
Horsefield became the youngest British golfer ever to play in one of the American Majors last year, and shot highly respectable rounds of 75-76, over a course where plenty of players were struggling to break eighty.
Even if he felt he did not really do himself justice, he still finished three shots ahead of Rickie Fowler, and five clear of Tiger Woods!
He admits he would have been disappointed if he had not booked a return ticket when he teed off in Jacksonville last week, even though the 36 hole qualifier was incredibly competitive, with just four places up for grabs.
He added: “Qualifying was definitely tougher this time, especially as it came down to a five man play-off for the final two places.
“But I left myself with a 12 footer for birdie to earn one of those spots – and personally, I would take that sort of scenario every time when there is something big at stake.
“I just feel like I’m living the dream living and playing golf in America, and this is another episode of that ongoing dream. And if I can play my best stuff this week, I’ll be happy wherever I finish.”
Infographic by online golf retailer
