Pulling For Christopher DeForest At The U.S. Open

On June 22, 2008, my father, my brother, and I were going out at night to play some holes at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey. Mountain Ridge was hosting the 52rd annual Ike Championship the next two days, which is a very prestigious amateur golf tournament for players in the Metropolitan golf area. While my dad, my brother, and I were about to play the 13th hole, we saw Christopher DeForest from Illinois University playing a practice round in preparation for the Ike the next day. Chris was a great guy and could really hit the ball. We walked a few holes with him and my dad told him some hints that he should know about course. For the next two days during the Ike, my dad, my brother, and I watched Chris play his 54 holes of the tournament. In the first round, DeForest shot a 2-under par, 69 and was tied for fifth and four strokes behind the leader. He finished tied for sixth, as he shot a 74 in his second and final round of the three round golf tournament. After his final round, Chris threw me his Illinois golf ball that he had been using and I still have that golf ball in my room to this day.

Chris went to Rondout Valley High School in Accord, New York. From 2007 to 2011, he attended Illinois University and played on their golf team. In his freshman year, he set the Illinois record for the lowest single 18-hole score when he carded a 63 in the final round of the D.A. Weibring Invitational. He finished in the top 10 of the Big Ten Championship in all four years of his college career and he was a two-time All-Big Ten first team performer.

DeForest qualified for the U.S. Open after winning a play-off in a sectional qualifier at St. Charles Country Club in St. Charles, Illinois. After finishing his first round at 1-under par, DeForest began to play unbelievably well in the second round. He finished the second round at 7-under par and was 8-under par for the tournament. Since DeForest was tied for second and there were two spots available for the U.S. Open, he played in a three-way playoff. It took Chris two holes in the playoff but he walked away with second place and a chance to play at Congressional Country Club in the 111th U.S. Open.

I had been watching the U.S. Open all day on television when suddenly the telecast showed Chris DeForest playing on the very difficult 10th hole. At the time the young kid from New York was 2-under par after his front nine, as he birdied the par 5, 6th hole and the par 4, 8th hole. DeForest hit a 20 foot birdie putt on the 10th to go to 3-under par and was tied for second at the time in his first ever professional golf tournament. I was so pumped for Chris and I finally had a reason to cheer because Phil Mickelson was giving me nothing to be happy about with his sloppy play. I followed Chris for the rest of his back nine on my computer and it was a very eventful final nine holes. He only had one par on the back nine, which came on the 14th. After his birdie to bring him to 3-under on 10, he had a double bogey on 11. He birdied 12 but came back with a bogey on 13. He bogeyed 15 but rallied with birdies on both 16 and 17. Although Chris double bogeyed the par 4, 18th hole, he had a tremendous first round and finished with an even par of 71. His six birdies on the day were tied for the most in the entire field with Rory McIlroy. 

Any golfers first professional golf tournament is a nerve wracking experience, especially when you see your name towards the top of the leaderboard with guys like Rory McIlroy. It is magnified when your first professional tournament is at the U.S Open. DeForest said about playing with guys like Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy, "They are just people, just like we are, and some of those are better at golf than others. I qualified. I'm in the tournament like they are. I'm going to be as nervous as can be, but I'm going to enjoy myself this week." Considering the fact that Chris's first career professional tournament is at a major and the most important one for an American, the U.S. Open, he had an outstanding first round and should be proud of his performance. I am looking forward to watching Chris and I am hoping that he does well for the duration of the U.S. Open and also in his future PGA tournaments. He has tremendous grace and class and is a great player to watch because of his ability to drive the ball incredible distances. I will definitely be pulling for Chris to have a great final three rounds at the U.S. Open.

After shooting an even par, 71, in his first round of professional golf at the U.S. Open, Chris DeForest is tied for 22nd and is looking to build upon his opening round.