Palmer Jackson was on the course at Hannastown Golf Club on June 2, playing against his good friend, Mark Goetz.
No offense to Goetz, but Jackson would have preferred to be in Phoenix playing in the NCAA Division I championship.
But Jackson wasn’t pouting. He was preparing to play in the open section of the United States Golf Association on June 6 in Columbus. He was scheduled to play at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club and Wedgewood Golf and Country Club as part of a field of 120 golfers vying for 16 spots at the 122nd US Open June 16-19 at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Jackson planned to travel to Columbus on June 4 to play practice rounds at two courses he had never played on.
“I’m going to focus on the green complex and where I’m going to hit the drives to attack the greens,” Jackson said. “Look where there is a good place to lose the green.
“You prepare, you learn which way the winds are blowing, and then you try to keep it simple and play. »
Playing in a USGA section is nothing new for the Notre Dame junior. He played in Columbus last year at Brookside Golf and Country Club and Lake Golf and Country Club.
“I knew what to expect, so it should be fine,” Jackson said. “It’s a good course for professionals and amateurs. I look forward to the competition.
“It will be a learning experience. Even though I don’t qualify for the US Open, I’m looking forward to the Sunnehanna Amateur. It’s one of my favorite tournaments. »
Jackson said he hates not playing in tournaments.
Between the section and the US Open or Sunnehanna, he will play in a Westmoreland County Golf Association event with Kevin Fajt.
“I have high expectations,” Jackson said. “I just want to play well. I saw someone shoot a 64 and take two shots from the fairway. Everything can happen. »
Jackson said he has a busy schedule, which includes playing some of the top amateur events in the country.
Highlight: The Franklin Regional graduate will represent the United States at the Arnold Palmer Cup, hosted by the Geneva Golf Club in Switzerland July 1-3.
The event, which began in 1997, is a Ryder Cup-style tournament in which the best college golfers from the United States compete against a team from Europe.
He was selected using Golfstat’s NCAA Player Ranking as a basis and the Arnold Palmer Cup ranking gives bonus points for wins and high finishes and a penalty for low finishes.
The classification also contains the strength of the calendar component. The ranking is used to identify the top six golfers who automatically qualify for the team. The rest of the list of 12 people will be selected by a committee before the start of the competition.
“I’m grateful and honored to be a member of Team USA for the Arnold Palmer Cup,” Jackson said. “It will be my first time in Europe and I am delighted. »
But for now, his goal was to play well on both Columbus courses.
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Paul Schofield is an editor for Tribune-Review. Paul can be contacted by email at [email protected] or via Twitter. .
