The Rounds No One is Talking About

Jackson Suber—48 hours ago, Suber wasn't even in the field and had a flight booked for Wichita to play the Korn Ferry event. Then Jon Rahm withdrew and Suber found himself with a tee time alongside three-time major champion, Jordan Spieth, and world number 14, Hideki Matsuyama. He beat both of them by three. 

I saw a headline that said, "Who the Hell is Jackson Suber?" It made me chuckle. A household name? Not even close – but Suber has a solid golf resume. In 2022, Suber averaged just over 69 for his entire senior season at Ole Miss. He was named second-team All-American and, for a time, was the number one-ranked college player in the country. 

Last year, in his first year as a full-time pro, Suber nearly earned his PGA Tour card via the Korn Ferry Tour, finishing just seven spots short on the points list. Although he missed his last four cuts coming into the U.S. Open, he still sits 44th in points on the KFT. 

Although the round is surprising, let's not pretend that Suber doesn't have the talent to stay in contention all week. 

‍Logan McAllister- The OU alum, despite his recent struggles, was in the first group out this morning and with the help of an eagle on the par-5 5th hole, shot even-par 70. McAllister has had a tough year on the KFT, missing five cuts in a row coming into the U.S. Open. However, his strong performance today is a testament to his resilience. With KFT points available for the KFT members that make the cut, three more good days could turn his season around. McAllister was teammates and roommates with PGA Tour member Chris Gotterup while the pair was at Oklahoma. He also has Joe LaCava Jr. on the bag.

‍Robert Rock- When Mark Baldwin and I talked today, he called Rock’s round the "Round of the Day," and it's hard to disagree. It's been 12 years since Rock has played in the U.S. Open and two years since he played an OWGR sanctioned event. Since his missed cut at the Dunhill Links on the European Tour in 2022, Rock has been teaching full-time. According to his website, Rock’s clients have 19 career European Tour wins. Matt Wallace and Thomas Bjorn are among the players he coaches. 

Rock went to U.S. Open qualifying because it was the last time he was exempt from the local stage. He now finds himself T16 after an even-par 70. What a story it would be if the 47-year-old could make it to the weekend. 

Another interesting part of Rock’s journey is his caddie Carl Baker. Baker is a former professional football (soccer) player who played nearly 600 career games. He caddied for the first time ever at qualifying for Rock and is now at Pinehurst. 

‍Willie Mack III- The Flint native made bogey on three of his last four holes, but still finished with an excellent one-over par 71. He finds himself tied with world number-one Scottie Scheffler. The long-time grinder has slept in his car, had a vehicle burn up, gained and lost status on the KFT, and he’s never given up. It would be a fantastic accomplishment if the 35-year-old could make the weekend at Pinehurst in his first major. 

‍Taisei Shimizu- Although he has finished no worse than 8th in the last four Japan Tour events, to see the 377th-ranked player tied with Scheffler at +1 is surprising to say the least. Shimizu is playing in his first-ever major, and has never played an event outside of Asia in his four year pro career until this week. A made cut would be massive for his career. 

Colin Prater- Yes, he shot 79, and, barring a miracle tomorrow, will miss the cut. But on the opening hole, the high school science teacher hit a perfect drive, and his second shot from 133 yards nearly went in. He tapped it in for an opening birdie and a lifelong memory. Moments like that are part of the reason I love qualifiers so much. It will be a story that Prater will tell thousands of times in his life. There is nothing like it in sports. 

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