PGA TOUR: Could This 16-Year-Old Qualify For A U.S. Open?

Most teenagers at this point in their lives would be focusing on driving and hanging out with friends but one kid is instead using his time to dominate the golf world. And it could result in him participating in a major.

Robert Keilch is a sophomore at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California and is a pretty darn good golfer. He’s been a strong force playing for his high school but his talent is so high that he decided to attempt qualifying for the U.S. Open at a local event in nearby Irvine. Well, not only did Keilch end up moving on in the qualifying process, he smoked his competition.

Playing at the Oak Creek Golf Club, Keilch lit the course on fire with a nine-under round of 61. Not only was that good enough to win the qualifier by six strokes, but it was also a new low round record for the course. And it’s not like he was doing this at the high school level, he did it against some of the best amateurs in the area which makes his showing even more impressive.

Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates with the winners trophy…

Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates with the winners trophy after the final round of the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 17, 2018 in Southampton, New York. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

And Keilch was humble for his age, describing how he got it done after his round. “I putted really well,” Keilch said. “But the best thing was my driving. I hit 14 of 14 fairways which gave me the best opportunities to go at the pins.” And what he said seems to ring true as Keilch rolled in nine birdies and one eagle on the round.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Robert Keilch (@rkeilch) on May 8, 2019 at 3:59pm PDT

With the first leg over, Keilch and four others from the event will now move on to the regional qualifier in Newport Beach on June 3rd. If Keilch puts up a similar performance at that event, he will be one of the youngest players to ever participate in the U.S. Open. The youngest player looks set to remain as Andy Zhang who was 14 when he played the 2012 tournament.

This is certainly an exciting moment for the young man who looks to have an extremely bright future. We certainly wish him the best in the regional qualifier and hope to see the young man at Pebble Beach next month.

Cover Image Via Instagram