Teen talk of tee box at Olympic Club
SAN FRANCISCO — Andy Zhang walked over to the driving range as just another teenager wanting an autograph from his favorite players. Instead, he had the gallery at The Olympic Club asking for his signature. Welcome to the U.S. Open, kid. All of 14 years old and preparing to start the ninth grade, Zhang is believed to be the youngest player in championship history. Tadd Fujikawa of Hawaii previously was the youngest in the modern era. He was 15 when he qualified for the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
Zhang was born in China and has lived in Florida since 2008, and about the only place he doesn’t show his age is on the course.
Heading to the driving range before his practice round Tuesday morning with Masters champion Bubba Watson and Aaron Baddeley was another story. Zhang was so giddy that his caddie, Chris Gold, had to calm him down.
“I was like, ‘Chris, can I go out on the range and ask for autographs?’ ” Zhang asked. “He said, ‘No. Today, you’re giving out the autographs.’ ”
After shedding some early nerves on the unleveled Lake Course, Zhang settled into a groove and even outdrove his When: Thursday-Sunday. Where: Olympic Club, San Francisco. Defending champ: Rory McIlroy. TV: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday and Friday, ESPN; 2-4 p.m., WMC Channel 5; 4-9 p.m., ESPN; 3-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, WMC Channel 5. more accomplished counterparts on occasion. By the end of the round, his smile — behind those big braces, of course — lit up the gallery and had everyone from Tiger Woods to Rory McIlroy asking the same question. Who is this kid? “When I was 14, I was getting prepared to play in my club championship, not the U.S. Open,” said McIlroy, who set the tournament scoring record at 16-under 268 last year at Congressional. “So I’m not sure I could give him any words of wisdom.”
Zhang lost in a playoff at a sectional qualifier in Florida and was the second alternate when the week began at The Olympic Club. His father traveled back to China on business this week, but Zhang, Andy Zhang his mother and caddie showed.
Zhang wandered the grounds mostly as just a young fan and casual observer until Brandt Snedeker and Paul Casey withdrew with injuries late Monday evening while Zhang was on the putting range.
“I was right next to my mom and Chris. I was just giving them hugs and real excited,” he said.
Now Zhang is the talk of a locker room filled with players mostly twice his age — or more — who have been on the PGA Tour since long before he was even born.
That hasn’t stopped Zhang from soaking in the experience. He picked up tips from Watson and Baddeley on the course, and Woods even sought him out in the locker room.
“I was like, ‘Wow, I just shook Tiger’s hand,’ ” Zhang said.
Even Woods, who won the Masters in 1997 before Zhang was born, heaped praise on the newest member in the clubhouse. He also defended any notion that Zhang might be too young to compete in “golf’s toughest test .”
“He qualified. He earned a spot. I tried it when I was 15, but he earned a spot,” Woods said. “That’s the great thing about this game, it’s not handed to you. You have to go out and put up the numbers, and he did.”
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