(AGENPARL) – RADFORD (VIRGINIA) sab 25 giugno 2022

Joining the clubs

Here’s a pair of Harper’s Index-style factoids for fans of the links:

The number of times golfer Callum Tarren ’14 has competed in the U.S. Open – two.

The number of times Tarren’s golf clubs have been separated from him en route to the U.S. Open – two.

When sportscasters talk about players defying the odds, well … they don’t usually mean statistically improbable hassles like that.

Nevertheless, when the 32-year-old marketing graduate from Darlington, England, arrived at the tournament – which ran June 16-19 in Brookline, Massachusetts – Tarren had to be feeling at least a touch of déjà vu.

“I got here, no clubs,” he told Golfweek in a recent profile. “Five other players on my flight. They all got golf clubs, so it was the second U.S. Open I’ve played in and second time no golf clubs.”

While the first incident, in 2019, took days to resolve and included a $450 cab ride from San Francisco to the course at Pebble Beach, this latest separation was taken care of within a few hours and through an assist by the airport staff.

“It wasn’t bad,” Tarren told Golfweek.

Golf Digest also picked up the story, as did the Associated Press, which covered the full results of the tournament in a June 19 story.

Despite his travel misfortunes, Tarren remains a golfer to watch. In August 2021, while competing at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, he carved a spot in local sports history when his performance made him the first Highlander to earn a PGA Tour card.

On June 23, his showing at Brookline prompted a profile on Cardinal News by sportswriter Doug Doughty.

“The mere thought of golfer Callum Tarren ranking among the first-day leaders at the men’s U.S. Open has to rank among the memorable accomplishments by a Radford University athlete,” Doughty wrote.

“What’s more impressive is, he didn’t fade,” he added. “After registering a 3-under par 67 in the first round … Tarren finished with a 69 and a tie for 38th,” edging out PGA Tour notables like Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.”

Doughty’s story also explains how the Englishman wound up at Radford and casts an optimistic eye on his competitive prospects.

“It seems he’s gotten better every year,” Radford Men’s Golf Coach Mike Grant said in the story. 

“Callum is one of the longest players I ever saw in college. Until this day, I’ve never seen anybody who could hit the ball as far as he does,” Grant said.

“There’s no question that Callum ranks among the PGA Tour’s powerful hitters,” Doughty concluded.

Fonte/Source: http://www.radford.edu/content/radfordcore/home/news/releases/2022/june/highlanders-in-the-news-June-20.html