LOS ANGELES — Talk about a proud papa.
Boyd Summerhays has not one but two of his golfing offspring competing in a U.S. Open this summer.
First up is son Preston, who just finished his sophomore season at Arizona State. Then in July, Boyd’s daughter Grace will play in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
Preston will tackle Los Angeles Country Club, having made the field a little more than a week ago after surviving a 3-for-2 playoff at nearby Hillcrest Country Club. He’s one of 19 amateurs (16 of them college players) to make the field. A few days later, Grace punched her ticket to Pebble at a final qualifying stage of her own.
This week marks a first for Preston, as dad Boyd will not be his caddie for the first big event of his young golf career.
“I feel like my game has gotten to a spot where you know my dad will actually be able to help me more if he’s, if he can focus more on me in the practice rounds and in the warmups,” Preston said after his Tuesday practice round with Jon Rahm and Tony Finau. ASU assistant coach Thomas Sutton will be on the bag this week instead. “It’s what’s best for my game. My dad gets spread too thin between being a coach, a father and a caddie.”
Preston has played countless times with Finau, a longtime Summerhays family friend, but he has also logged nearly 20 rounds with the former Sun Devil Rahm.
On the 18th hole Tuesday, Preston’s approach was just off the back of the green. He attempted a flop shot but instead hit the ball right at Rahm, who calmly caught it out of the air and then tossed it back.
Rahm left ASU in 2016 to turn pro, graduating after four years in Tempe, but the Arizona State bond is there. Summerhays is on a similar path, as he intends to play all four years of college golf while working towards his degree.
“I missed him by a decent amount of years [at ASU], but there’s always that connection. He’s come out to our facility a couple of times. Just kind of being, him being an alum, I feel just a little bit more comfortable going up to him, asking him questions,” Preston said. “He’s been great with me, and I know even if I wasn’t at ASU, he’d be great to me.”
Can the 20-year-old Preston, who gained previous U.S. Open experience in 2020, contend in this major championship?
Well, his dad knows anything’s possible in golf.
“People say it, and it’s cliche, but the golf ball doesn’t know who’s hitting it, right?”
