The Time I Played the US Open, Well Sort of…

As a golf professional, I’ve had the privilege of walking the fairways of countless major championships. I’ve seen legends carved and hearts broken on the grandest stages. But sometimes, the most profound stories unfold when the crowds have gone home and the television cameras are packed away. For me, one such story took place on a quiet Monday in June of 1996, on the hallowed grounds of Oakland Hills Country Club.

The U.S. Open had just concluded. I’d spent the week chronicling how Steve Jones, with grit and determination, had conquered "The Monster"—Ben Hogan’s famous moniker for the course—with a score of two-under-par. The course was a brute, a relentless test of physical skill and mental fortitude. And as the dust settled, a young golf professional, a man named Daniel Guest, me, who would later found the respected Imagen Golf academy, stepped onto that same first tee. He had the rare chance to play the course in its Sunday best, or perhaps, its Sunday worst.

I shot 111. And I’ve thought about that round more than most of the championship performances I’ve ever witnessed.

Before you dismiss that number, you have to understand what he was up against. I walked that course all week, and I can tell you, it was a different kind of golf. The rough wasn't just grass; it was a predator. We watched the best players in the world lose balls just feet from the fairway. A swing from that tangled, shin-high fescue was a coin toss—you prayed for solid contact and hoped the club wouldn't get ripped from your hands. Every missed fairway wasn't just a penalty; it was a battle.

And the greens? I still have nightmares about them. They were like glass domes, shaved and rolled to the point of absurdity. I remember watching players in the tournament hit what looked like perfect approach shots, only to see their balls land, take one hop, and skid off the back into oblivion. The USGA had set the pins in their final-round locations, the most treacherous, inaccessible spots they could find. A downhill putt wasn't just a challenge; it was a potential disaster that could easily roll off the green, leaving you with a 30-yard chip back. A three-putt felt like you got off easy.

Against this backdrop, a young professional stared down the beast and wrote down a 111. Some might see that as failure. I see it as one of the most honest and courageous rounds of golf I ever played.

For you, the dedicated golfer who grinds it out every weekend, this is the story that matters. We are so often consumed by the number on the scorecard. We let a triple bogey ruin our day and a high score define our experience. But Daniel Guest’s 111 at The Monster teaches a more profound lesson.
It’s a lesson in humility, in accepting that some days, the course is simply better than you are. It’s a testament to perseverance—the sheer will to walk to the next tee after a snowman, to stand over a putt on a green that has tormented you, and to give it your all, shot after shot, for 18 holes. It proves that the true value of a round isn't always found in breaking par, but in the willingness to face down a monumental challenge without flinching.

That round was a masterclass in resilience. It was about embracing the struggle, learning from every punishing lie, and gaining an intimate understanding of what separates good from great. It is a story that should inspire us all.

So the next time you find yourself in the deep stuff, staring at a score you’d rather forget, think of that day at Oakland Hills. Remember that golf, in its purest form, is not about achieving perfection. It’s about the glorious struggle. It’s about having the courage to tee it up, knowing the test will be severe, and walking off the 18th green—no matter the score—with your head held high, a better golfer for the battle you just endured.

This is Golf as You've Always Imagined!

Daniel is a Top 100 Golf Coach, The #1 Golf Instructor in PA, PXG Staff Pro, World Long Drive Coach and the Head of Golf Instruction at IMAGEN Golf the area's leading golf instruction and advisory firm, host of the IMAGEN Golf podcast and Best-Selling Author of "Unleash The Golfer Within".

For more information visit www.ImagenGolf.com or call 215-595-6299 Reach out to Daniel directly at:Daniel@ImagenGolf.com

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