Anyone Who Qualifies

ANYONE WHO QUALIFIES can play in an open professional golf tournament. That was proved at the 2001 U.S. Women’s Open, which included a very young participant.

Morgan Pressel, a 12-year-old from Boca Raton, Florida, entered a 107-player qualifying tournament at Bear Lakes Country Club. The top five finishers in the qualifier earned slots in the prestigious LPGA event. The seventh grader at Omni Middle School started her athletic career as a tennis player, following the lead of her uncle, Aaron Krickstein, a former professional player. But on the advice of her grandfather, the young girl switched to golf.

The preteen, who began swinging a club at age seven, decided to play at Bear Lakes primarily for the experience of competing against top-caliber players. After her initial nervousness wore off, Morgan settled into a solid game. Her uncle Aaron served as her caddy and steadied his niece through the 6,300-yard course.

Through 16 holes, Pressel stood at 4-under-par and appeared to be a lock for an Open spot. Although she bogeyed the final two holes, her 2-under-par 70 made the grade for the 2001 tournament held at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. At age 12, Morgan became the youngest U.S. Open participant since Beverly Klass qualified at age ten in 1967.

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POINT Few professional sports remain as open to every athlete as the men’s and women’s U.S. Open. In theory, any player of any age who competes well enough in a qualifying tournament can make the field. Morgan Pressel took advantage of her opportunity.

Although Morgan shot 77 in each of the first two U.S. Open rounds and failed to make the cut, she made history and created a great memory for herself.

Isn’t it cool that the U.S. Open is open to anyone? God’s love is the same way. Plus, there’s no qualifying tournament to get through. The Lord throws open his gates to all who believe and then rejoices when we come in.

GOAL! Try to find other clubs or teams that are totally open. There aren’t a lot. Usually there are tryouts and cuts. Praise God that he’s open to anybody joining his team.