COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Eddie Hargett's journey into golf started 28 years ago. That's pretty late in the game to master what many consider to be a difficult sport.
Through hard work on the links, the now 51-year-old Hargett finds himself playing in his first ever US Senior Open.
"We all sit around the TV and we sit around the club after we play a round watching guys going, 'Oh, look at that shot. I can do that,'" Hargett said.
Hargett won a one round qualifier in Florence in June to earn a spot in this year's field.
"You certainly want to be able if you're lucky enough find yourself in a position where you sort of see how you measure up," Hargett said. "I think that's what competitive people want to do. You want to play against the best. You want to see how you can do."
Hargett's an amateur golfer with a two handicap. When he arrives at the Open in Michigan, he will compete against some of the greats like Fred Couples, Tom Watson, and Tom Kite just to name a few. Those are superstar names that he will have trouble tuning out during his round.
"Let's be serious here. No way," Hargett said. "Hopefully you can do it in a very balanced way and again get as much of that out of the way Monday thru Wednesday through the practice rounds, so when Thursday comes around I am more comfortable."
Keeping him level is his caddy -- his 14-year-old son Cole.
"We're actually going to go to see all of those professionals play and actually compete with them," Cole said.
"He walks a little bit slower than I do," Hargett jokes about his son. "He slows me down. I have a tendency to speed up and get ahead of myself whether I am playing good or bad. That's a really interesting dynamic just because of his age."
Controlling nerves is half the battle. The other is surviving the heat. You can't wear shorts at the US Senior Open.
"It was an 'Oh Wow' moment when I realized you got to wear slacks," Hargett said. "In Columbia, you don't wear slacks in the summer time."
Hargett tees off this Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Indianwood Golf and Country Club in Lake Orion, Michigan.
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