Osborne Set For US Open, His Second Major Of The Year

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Osborne Set For US Open, His Second Major Of The Year

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Current SMU golfer Ollie Osborne is set for his second major of the season, teeing it up at Torrey Pines' South Course for the U.S. Open June 17-20. Bryson DeChambeau, who played at SMU from 2012-15 before turning pro, is the event's defending champion.

Osborne earned an exemption into the field with his runner-up finish at the 2020 U.S. Amateur. He is the first Mustang to compete in this event as an amateur since teammate Noah Goodwin competed in the 2018 tournament.

Osborne is looking to use his experience at the 2021 Masters Tournament, where he posted the low 36-hole score among amateurs, and played with some of the world's best players that week, to help guide him at Torrey Pines.

"I feel a lot more comfortable now, especially getting that first major out of the way, calms the nerves a little bit." said Osborne. "Seeing those guys you met before and just kind of going up to them, shaking their hands kind of helps a lot, just seeing what they do."

"Low Am at U.S. Open too would be a goal, but I definitely want to compete with the pros out here, too," Osborne added. "It's kind of hard to put it into words, but just kind of go out there and compete and have fun with these guys out there."

SMU's only professional representative in the field, DeChambeau was the only player under par at Winged Foot in 2020, winning his first major by six strokes. He enters the event as the fifth-ranked golfer in the world, and is second in the FedEx Cup Standings.

"If I can keep hitting it to the front of the greens, two-putting when I get into trouble, I'm going to give myself a great chance this week," DeChambeau said. "When I hit it in the fairway, I have to take advantage of those holes, have to take advantage of the par-5s out here. If I can do those two things, I feel like I'll have a great chance at contending."

Osborne tees off at 4:20 p.m. CT for Thursday's first round, and DeChambeau tees off six groups earlier, at 3:14 p.m. CT. Television coverage of the event is on Golf Channel and NBC.