Tom Gardner, director of golf at the Los Angeles Country Club, was allowed to play at the US Open on Saturday and almost skipped down the fairways behind the ropes to the cheers of his many fans.
His scorecard meant nothing. The experience meant everything.
Gardner, with his familiar boater’s hat and almost constant smile, was the face of the tournament. A marker is an uncompetitive player who rounds the field if an odd number of players make the cut. He doesn’t keep a card – except maybe as a souvenir – and sometimes doesn’t even finish every hole, although Gardner did. He played with Ryan Fox from New Zealand.
“I was very conscious of not getting in the way of Ryan or throwing him off rhythm,” Gardner said. “We had a great time.”
That is perhaps an understatement. Gardner walked on a cloud.
“To be able to say I got to play a US Open setup over the weekend and see what it’s like,” he said, “and the energy of the crowd and the pins and the firmness and the rough and everything that goes to see.” Also, it’s… I can’t really describe it.”
His caddy was Rory Sweeney, the club’s head professional, and the two pinched each other to get the numbers right to get them on track. Both had tried unsuccessfully to survive the US Open qualification.
“Of course we all dream of playing in a stadium like this,” said Sweeney, who grew up on the west coast of Ireland, “and to share it with one of my best friends is very special.”
Gardner, who had learned a week earlier that if the numbers matched he would win the bid, was confident Friday night that an even number of players would make the cut and there would be no marker.
France’s Paul Barjon had to play the last three holes on Friday for even par or better to make the cut – eliminating the need for Gardner.
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Jason Day hits from a green bunker on the 14th hole during the second round of the US Open June 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rickie Fowler hits from the 11th tee in the second round of the US Open on June 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Wyndham Clark tees off from the seventh tee June 16 during the second round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Austin Eckroat (left) and Wyndham Clark run through the rough on the fourth hole during the second round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Jon Rahm hits from the rough on the 15th hole in the second round of the US Open on June 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Wyndham Clark chips the second green June 16 during the second round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Joaquin Niemann hits from the rough near the sixth green during the second round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rickie Fowler goes to the 18th green during the second round of the US Open June 16. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Alex Noren hits out of a green bunker on the sixth hole June 16 during the second round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Tony Finau hits from a green bunker on the 16th hole during the first round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rickie Fowler consults his caddy before hitting the ninth hole from the sandy rough June 15 during the first round of the US Open. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rory McIlroy tees off from the 16th tee in the first round of the US Open on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Despite the cloudy weather, spectators stroll the North Course at the Los Angeles Country Club during the first round of the US Open June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Jason Day hits out of a green bunker on the eighth hole June 15 during the first round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rickie Fowler walks across a bridge to the ninth green during the first round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 15. Fowler shared the lead with Xander Schauffele after the first round after a superb eight-under-par-62. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rickie Fowler hits from the rough on the ninth hole in the first round of the US Open June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Golfers Gary Woodland, Corey Connors and Adam Scott check the slope of the green and their putt lines on the 14th hole during the first round of the US Open June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rickie Fowler, third from left, walks to the seventh green with Jason Day during the first round of the US Open June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Brooks Koepka (left) and Rory McIlroy reach the ninth green during the first round of the US Open. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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An avid golf fan attempts to get Xander Schauffele’s autograph as he walks to the 17th tee during a practice round at the Los Angeles Country Club June 14. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Golfers line up their putts on the 11th hole during the first round of the US Open June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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June gloom shrouds the downtown LA skyline as the first round of the US Open begins June 15 at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rory McIlroy tees off from the 16th tee in the first round of the US Open on Thursday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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With the downtown LA skyline in the background, Rory McIlroy walks down the 14th fairway during the first round of the US Open June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Spectators walk the course near a grandstand during the first round of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club June 15. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Golf fans watch as Rory McIlroy hits the second hole June 14 during a practice round for the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Golf fans cross a bridge over Wilshire Boulevard to leave the course after participating in a practice round for the US Open June 14 at the Los Angeles Country Club. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Barjon parried #16 and then birdied on #17.
“At that point I’m like, ‘I’m out of here,'” said Gardner, who had been monitoring the scores on his phone from behind the 18th green. “I met my wife for a cocktail party.”
He went to the dressing room, changed his clothes, said goodbye to his friends at the club and jumped in his car.
So he wasn’t there to see Barjon double-bogey on the 18th, slammed his drive into the woods, jumped out of a bunker on the green, and then hit a 10-foot bogey putt.
Suddenly the breaking news: Gardner was spot on.
“I get a text message from a member and he says, ‘You’re in,'” he said. “I immediately called him and said, ‘No, I’m not. This guy made 17 birds.’ He says, “No, he doubled 18.” All of a sudden I was getting a lot of text messages and emails and the club emailed the members.”
On Saturday morning, Gardner was treated like a star – or at least a hint of cheers and “Let’s go Tommy” shouts wherever he was on the track.
He smashed his drive at No. 1 and hit it 285 yards down the middle. He holed a par putt of at least 30 feet in court 10, right next to the members’ tent. More cheers. And on the par-3 15, he hit a beautiful tee shot that just missed his birdie putt.
And all that, and he didn’t have to keep a card.
“The best way to play golf,” he said.
As of Saturday night, no one had withdrawn. For Sunday there was still an odd number of participants.
Tee off again, Tom.
