Defending champ tested mentally in opening round

Easton Renwick swung open the doors to the air-conditioned clubhouse at Oakmont Country Club. With wide eyes, he turned quickly to his right and located the couch to the left side of the clubhouse, where his girlfriend, Andrea Phung, sat aside two bottles of Gatorade and three half-empty bottles of water.

The frenzy of earlier had settled — the paramedics had left and the sunken look on Phung’s face was starting to return to normal. Renwick sethis hand on Phung’s leg. “Are you OK?” he begged. The 2017 West Penn Open winner, Renwick entered Oakmont knowing the course and knowing that it gave no gifts. No hole would be easy. No shot would be devoid of stress. But, right before the turn onto the back nine, Phung suffered heat stroke and, pale in the face and body, had to be lifted to the country club to seek relief.

“Kind of tough to get that out of your head for the first …” Renwick paused. “It took a while.”

Despite the scare, Renwick put together a nice opening round of the tournament. He shot 3-over 74 and sits just three shots back of the lead after 18 holes. Kevin Koerbel is among the leaders on the day, finishing at even in the final group.

For Renwick, the day started off rather smoothly. The first five holes he went 2 under and he felt he was on his way to a nice round. Flashbacks of 2017’s “perfect” final round creeped to his head. But this course was different. It wouldn’t let the moment last long.

Renwick would 3-putt the next hole and then hit it short on No. 8. After a strong start, over the course of the next three holes he dropped five shots to 3 over. On the eighth tee, Phung signaled Renwick’s father.

“I’m not feeling good,” she said. “I’m going to walk back up to the clubhouse.” Then madness. Renwick rushed to meet her at the clubhouse. At the time, an ambulance had reached the side of the clubhouse and paramedics tended to her. He saw her face, a look he hopes to never see again.

“I was absolutely terrified,” he said. “That was tough.”

With the image fresh in his mind, Renwick still had to return to a course that had given him no favors earlier. But, he hit his stride just in time.

In what he said were the two biggest holes of the round, he parred 10 and 11 to regain some momentum as he went through the back nine. He hit shots from “no man’s land,” he said, rolling putts on the “diabolical” greens from 20 feet out. Something he said usually requires prayer.

While the course requires bogeys and tough holes, he said, the performance on those holes are the difference between staying alive and entering the second round 8 over. It set the table for a strong finish, featuring a birdie and an eagle in two of the final four holes to cap his day.

After bogeying the 18th — “the hardest hole in the world,” he said — he ran right back up to the clubhouse where Phung was still sitting on the couch.

Renwick leaned over the top of her and rested his face on her cheek.

“Are you O …” Renwick said, “oh, you’re cold.”

In the midst of his trance, reliving the scary memory that he had faced, he looked overhis shoulder and peered at Phung, who’s glossy eyes stared back at him. He smiled and began to laugh.

“She’s going to think it’s her fault,” he laughed. “It’s just a hard course.”

Despite finishing three spots back of his 2017 firstround finish, he’s still off to his same championship pace. In the opening round a year ago, he shot even, but still was three strokes out.

“I’m pretty lucky to be 3 over considering ...” he paused and smiled. “all that happened today.”