14-year-old from China gets into US Open

       

                         Andy Zhang Photos by Matt Ginella

Paul Casey has withdrawn from the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, this opens the door for Andy Zhang, a 14-year-old from China to be what officials believe to be the youngest player in championship history.

Andy Zhang lost in a playoff at a sectional qualifier in Florida. He was the second alternate when the week began at Olympic Club. Brandt Snedeker also withdrew Monday, and Paul Casey pulled out because of a recurring shoulder injury, a legacy from his silly snowboarding incident.

Tadd Fujikawa, an American Japanese born in Honolulu Hawaii, had been the youngest in the modern era. He was 15 when he qualified for the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

Andy has booked a practice round tee time with Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson for seven Tuesday morning, and was already thinking of what was to come, and just  minutes after attaching his official player badge to the brim of his cap, Andy said;

“I do get nervous, actually. I will be with all these players I watch on TV, walking right next to them. It will be great. I will just try to enjoy it as much as possible. I want to play well, but just to play on a major championship course is great.”

What’s Westy Up to Now ?

Lee Westwood, the world number three has decided to play in the Nordea Masters in Sweden ahead of the this year’s second major in San Francisco. Lee has admitted he has no idea what is his best way to prepare for next week’s US Open,  he will be making his 57th attempt to win a major at the Olympic Club and is still searching for the secret to success in terms of how best to prepare.

“It’s difficult to prepare for a west coast major because nowhere is near. If you play Memphis it’s still a four to five-hour flight to California, so it’s a tussle whether you play in all that heat or you go to Sweden, where there will be steady conditions and it finishes on Saturday.”

I have travelled to the States many times since my first trip in 1978 to Los Angeles, took the kids to Disneyworld. The jet lag does strange things to people, and the best way to combat the worst of the conditions is to give yourself a day or two to recover and get your body clock into a new rhythm. This is especially so after a twelve hour flight, Sweden is a long way from San Francisco.