SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The United States Golf Association received 9,049 entries for the United States Open this year. There was probably only one with a day job that involves professional ice hockey.
But Garrett Rank, 30, will tee it up at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Thursday, just a few weeks after concluding his third season as a referee in the National Hockey League. He qualified for the Open as an amateur by shooting two-under par in the 36-hole sectional qualifier at Settindown Creek Course in Georgia on June 4.
“What a dream come true for me,” Rank said Monday after arriving at Shinnecock Hills for practice ahead of the tournament.