BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) – Fran Quinn knew his odds of making the U.S. Open weren’t great. He’s 57.
But when his 23-year-old son, Owen, said he was going to try to qualify, Fran figured that with the tournament happening right down the road from his house this year, it might be worth it. He told Owen, “You know what, throw me in there, too.”
That $200 entry fee was worth it.
Quinn will be the oldest player to tee it up at The Country Club this week. The PGA Tour Champions pro is making his fifth appearance at the U.S. Open, bookending this one – a mere 40-minute drive from his hometown of Holden – with his debut at Pebble Beach in 1992.
“It wasn’t really on my schedule,” Quinn conceded, after playing a back-nine practice round on Monday with his wife, Lori, carrying the bag and Owen shooting distances from the fairway. “It’s just really exciting. And I’m playing some solid golf.”