US OPEN DIARY
Mark McCormick, the 49-year-old head pro at Suburban Golf Club in Union, N.J., is doing an exclusive diary for The Post this week, as told to Mark Cannizzaro. McCormick’s caddie, Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez, was the original drummer for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
WE got in Sunday and had a hell of a time trying to register. The paperwork said to go to Lot E to register and when we got there, it was a school yard with nobody there. We drove back and forth to the club at least three times before finally registering at the club.
Once we finally registered, I was anxious to get out there and play the course, so we played seven holes.
Because Vini, my caddie, won’t be here until [today], my son Ryan caddied for me Sunday and yesterday.
We got out there Sunday afternoon and there was nobody on the course. It was just the two of us walking the course and the mowers.
The first moment I realized I finally got to a U.S. Open came when I went to the locker room and I saw my name on the locker and looked to the right and there was Graeme McDowell’s name.
Two lockers over was Rory McIlroy’s name and next one over was Phil Mickelson’s. I said, “You got to be kidding me.”
In our little bay of the locker room I’ve got those guys next to me. That’s when I realized, “I think I’m somewhere I’ve never been before.’’
In qualifying, I really thought out of the two of us, he [son Ryan, a sophomore on the St. John’s golf team who also competed in the sectional qualifier] had a better chance than me, so I didn’t put a lot of pressure on myself.
It was my 25th time trying to qualify and I was 0-for-24, so the odds were not looking good. I knew this was going to be my last time.
I’m 49, going to be 50 next year. I figured I was going to say goodbye to trying to make the U.S. Open and hello to playing in senior events. Maybe I was a little more relaxed because of that.
Now I’m starting to feel a little bit of pressure. I played by myself [yesterday] and I was getting a little nervous as I saw the crowds get bigger.
I’m playing a practice round with Phil Mickelson [today] and I don’t know how I’m going to be. I’ll probably be a wreck, but it’ll be fun. I’ll probably be ready to puke and smile at the same time.
Maybe because I’m a lefty and he’s always been such a nice guy who does the right thing, I’ve always rooted for him to win every week. I’m going to be so nervous playing with him, I hope I can get a ball airborne. I’m going into the week with not a lot of expectations; just trying to underplay everything and enjoy it. I’ve worked with Dr. Bob Rotella since 1994 and I’ll get a little tune-up from him.
He’ll put me in the right frame of mind and tell me the things I need to be focused on.
Suburban Golf Club, McCormick
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