The Owls’ Nest
Rice golf alum gets support from fellow Owls at US Open

FROM RICE ATHLETICS

When Jim Duke ’97 stood up at a function for Rice golf lettermen in March and announced he would be happy to provide accommodations for anyone playing in the U.S. Open, which is taking place this week in his hometown of Bethesda, Md., no one likely imagined his phone would ring a week before the championship with a caller looking for a place to stay.

	RICE GOLF
	Michael Whitehead ’11 replaced Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open.

Last Monday, playing in a 36-hole sectional qualifier in Dallas, Michael Whitehead ’11 birdied three of his final four holes to force a playoff with two U.S. Open veterans — professional golfers Harrison Frazar and Greg Chalmers. Of the three, two would advance to golf’s national championship, and the other would be a tournament alternate.

Whitehead lost on the first playoff hole. He made peace with the disappointment of coming so close and moved on. However, less than 24 hours later, Whitehead received a call from a U.S. Open official who told him injuries had forced Tiger Woods to pull out of the tournament and Whitehead could replace him.

Among Rice golf lettermen, the news of Whitehead making the 156-player field traveled at 4G speed.

“I sent him a text message, ‘Nice job,’ after hearing he got in,” Duke said. “He called me and said he would like to take me up on my offer. I knew my mom’s neighbor lives by herself, has enough space, and we were able to work it out. So he’s staying two doors down.”

Duke’s neighborhood is a 10-minute walk to Congressional Country Club, the host of the U.S. Open for the third time.

Duke grew up playing Congressional Country Club. He’s won on the course. He was a junior club champion and back in the mid-1990s, he teamed up with another Rice Owl, Tim Carlson ’97, and won the Congressional Four Ball Championship.

“Four Ball is a very competitive event,” Duke said. “All the players came from top clubs. I think Tim and I shot about a 5-under. We really played well. It was a pretty good accomplishment for us way back when.”

Just down the road from Duke is where another Rice letterman grew up. Trevor Randolph ’96 was a member of the Owls’ 1991 NCAA tournament team, and he too can certainly offer local knowledge about successfully playing Congressional Country Club.

Randolph is the defending Congressional Club champion.

Match play went to the 24th hole last August before Randolph beat Tony Russo, a vice president for Verizon and a player Golf Digest ranked No. 1 on a recent list of Washington’s best and avid golfers.

With the success Owl lettermen have had playing Congressional Country Club, it is little wonder another Rice alum, Matt Williamson ’95, has dubbed the course “The Owls’ Nest” heading into Whitehead’s professional debut.

Whitehead is expected to have a healthy gallery this week when he becomes the first Rice golfer to play in the U.S. Open since Brad Lardon ’88 in 2004.

“I have already sent an email out to all the golfers I know at Congressional saying go root for this guy,” Duke said.

Whitehead began play at the U.S. Open off tee No. 10 Thursday. He will tee off from No. 1 for his second round Friday at 1:52 p.m. Central Time. Whitehead has been paired with a couple of other young pro golfers. Will Wilcox originally played collegiately at UAB before transferring to Clayton State. He turned pro in 2009. John Ellis played collegiately at the University of Oregon before turning pro is 2003.

Duke is a volunteer at this week’s championship, serving as a marshal on the 18th hole. His responsibilities had him working just through Thursday and he planned to follow Whitehead as much as he could.

So would Randolph, who had already purchased tickets for the entire week.

“I have traded some texts with Michael, so I hope he knows how excited I am for him,” Randolph said. “The enthusiasm coming across from all the team alumni has been great. We have been trading emails all week. Everyone is just so excited for him not just because he is a Rice player, but some of us have gotten to know Michael over the past few years at booster events, and he is such a great kid.”

“We are still connected to the team,” Duke added about the program’s ties to its alumni. “We have awareness about the program and now we have someone to go root for in the national championship. It is a pretty cool feeling.”