UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — Lee McCoy won't be easy to miss if he makes it on to television Thursday -- in fact his ear-to-ear grin may be big enough to see even without a camera.
“It’s going to be hard to wipe the smile off my face this week,” said McCoy, who has every reason for joy, as the rising University of Georgia senior and Habersham Central grad embarks on the biggest tournament of his life.
McCoy will tee off at 7:55 a.m. (10:55 a.m. EST) Thursday as part of the 2015 U.S. Open Golf Championships at Chambers Bay Golf Club in University Place, Wash.
“As a guy in my situation it’s hard not to be in awe,” said McCoy, who is coming off an All-American season for the Bulldogs and qualified for the U.S. Open just 10 days ago in a sectional tournament. “I’m seeing all these professionals up close, and you feel like you know them because you see them on TV all the time -- but they have no idea who you are.”
Don’t mistake that awe for nerves, however. And McCoy says he feels right at home amongst the best golfers in the world.
“The last three days have been really comfortable, so I don’t think I’ll be nervous,” said McCoy in a phone interview. “I’ve been playing so much tournament golf here lately that this just feels like another day on the course, and it’s not nearly as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be.”
Part of that could stem from a lack of pressure, as McCoy says he is looking at the next few days as a living classroom amongst his sport’s elite.
“I’m going to keep my ears and eyes open the whole week,” McCoy said. “I already have a good idea of what parts of my game need to be sharpened, but this will let me know even more. I’m looking at this as a learning opportunity.”
Frankly, every golfer competing at Chambers Bay may be learning on the fly, competing on a course the likes of which few have competed on -- at least on American shores.
“It’s different, very different,” McCoy said of the links-style course that will require successful players to hit shots into areas where they hope the ball will continue its momentum -- rather than aiming for a specific spot to drop and stick. (NOTE: Read more about the course here.) “I like to move the ball around, so that might play to my advantage. I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”
The set up of Chambers Bay raises the possibility of some intriguing play over the next four days. It has also raised the ire of some golfers. Yet despite some of the grumbles, McCoy says he expects there will be plenty of competitors that get to grips with the unique setting.
“Everybody’s playing the same course, and come Sunday there’s going to be a guy holding the trophy, and he’s going to love this place,” McCoy said. “But it seems like some of the golfers here have already shot themselves in the foot by not liking the course and making their mind up about it already.”
If that gives McCoy an opening to make a name for himself on the grandest stage, he’ll gladly take it. And after a stunning collegiate season that saw him close strong in helping the Bulldogs to a NCAA semifinal appearance and, just last week, help a team of collegiate golfers win the Palmer Cup over a group of European rivals.
“That was a great experience; to represent your country is something really exciting, and a totally different feeling to anything I’ve experienced,” McCoy said.
That feeling may be eclipsed yet again over the next few hours and days.
NOTE: Keep up with McCoy's progress live here.
