Just hearing his name announced at the start of the British Open, with the famous trophy in sight, was a dream come true for Sam Hutsby.
Picture standing on the eighth hole at Royal Troon on Thursday, tied for the lead. It was early in the round. “I had to pinch myself a bit on that tee,” Hutsby said. “I thought, ‘Wow, this feels a bit surreal.'”
Reality hit harder with a tee shot into the bunker, needing two shots to escape and ending up with a double bogey. Despite the setback, he finished the day at 3-over 74 without much complaint.
Hutsby qualified for his first British Open, his debut in a major, through final qualifying earlier this month. Even then, it was beyond what he had expected after shifting from competitive golf to coaching.
“I wanted to coach and give back. I really enjoyed it,” Hutsby said. “Helping others was great, and it taught me a lot. It changed how I viewed the game.”
“After some decent scores locally, I started thinking, ‘Maybe I could try again.'”
He earned his spot through Q-school in late 2022, played a full season on the European Tour, and is now working his way back through the Challenge Tour.
But nothing could have prepared him for the magnitude of a major championship, the crowds, and the atmosphere.
“I arrived early, came up here Friday, so I had the weekend here. Every passing day, the nerves grew,” Hutsby said.
“I haven’t really settled all week, to be honest. Surprisingly, I felt calm on the back nine today but didn’t score well. So it’s been a mix of emotions. “It was reassuring to know I could feel uneasy and still hit good shots and play well.”
