Young golfer overcome with emotion at US Open

AT JUST 15-years-old, Cole Hammer has competed in his first ever US Open. The young golfer appeared to be overcome with emotion just before he tee’d off.

UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA - JUNE 18: Amateur Cole Hammer of the United States hits his tee shot on the sixth hole during the first round of the 115th U.S. Open Championship at Chambers Bay on June 18, 2015 in University Place, Washington. David Cannon/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Some fears, but not tears. The kid wasn’t crying, he was seeking support from above.

“I always pray right before my round on the first tee,” Cole Hammer said.

“That’s all I was doing. I wasn’t emotional or anything.”

There you have it. Fifteen-year-old kids teeing it up in the U.S. Open do things similarly to all those veterans who secretly ask for divine intervention on many occasions, too.

15-Year-Old Cole Hammer was nearly brought to tears on his 1st #USOpen tee.You’d cry too. http://t.co/vSPQeG8606 https://t.co/iEwmt9HlCy

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 18, 2015

For a while, Hammer’s prayers were answered, because he stood on the first tee — his 10th hole — at just 2 over. He ran off pars at the first and second holes.

“I had it going pretty good for a while,” said the teenager.

Then, Chambers Bay flashed its teeth. He bogeyed the third, bogeyed the fourth, doubled the fifth, and bogeyed the sixth. Just like that, he was 7 over and in a struggle to break 80.

“It’s a tough course. If you don’t put your ball on the fairway, some bad things can happen. And, unfortunately, I missed too many fairways.”

The youngster did hold it together to come home in 77. Not anything that will have him near the top of the leaderboard, but he can take solace in the fact that he beat a few guys and learned a great deal. It was, after all, the U.S. Open.

“I’ve never felt that feeling, for sure,” Hammer said. “I liked it.”

Looked like 15-yr-old Cole Hammer was fighting back tears before his 1st hole Thursday. Not true. He was praying. Does so before every round

— Ryan Lavner (@RyanLavnerGC) June 18, 2015

15-year-old Cole Hammer at U.S. Open: shot a 77He did best Tiger Woods (80) and Rickie Fowler (81)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 19, 2015

Originally published as Young golfer overcome with emotion at US Open