Less than a week after former LSU national champion John Peterson’s grandmother passed away, his grandfather called this Father’s day “the best Father’s day he’s ever had” when his grandson tied for fourth at the U.S. Open.
“She was with me the whole time,” Peterson said. “The ball I shot with in the final round [of the Fedex St. Jude’s Classic] last week – the last day she was alive – is in the casket with her.”
Peterson caused more than a quiet murmur in his major tournament debut after he fired a 3-over-par – two strokes off the winning total – on Olympic Club in San Francisco, the course Golf Digest ranked as the 13th toughest in America.
“I felt like the course was set up to where I could contend,” Peterson said. “The only reason the big names were the favorites was because they’ve been doing it for so long.”
Peterson, the 831st-ranked golfer in the world, finished with an even-par 70 in Sunday’s final round, beating notable golfers such as last year’s winner Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Luke Donald, currently ranked No. 1 in the world. Peterson’s ranking skyrocketed to 271 after his U.S. Open performance.
“I felt very comfortable,” Peterson said. “I felt I belonged there for all the hard work I’ve put in. I wasn’t nervous until that last putt that would’ve qualified me for the Masters.”
The U.S. Open was only the fifth PGA tour event for Peterson and the first major appearance for the 23-year-old rookie, who won $276,841.
“I feel like it’s a privilege for me to play this game for a living,” Peterson said. “I get to play a game for a living. All I know is golf, and if it weren’t for this sport, I’d be broke.”
The highlight of Peterson’s weekend came during Saturday’s third round on the 199-yard-par-3 13th hole, when he holed the tournament’s only ace to drop his score to 3-over for the tournament.
LSU coach Chuck Winstead coached Peterson at LSU and remains the former Tiger’s swing coach at the professional level.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Winstead said. “For someone who strikes the ball as well as John does, it’s kind of crazy that it hadn’t happened before.”
Peterson was able to celebrate the shot with a familiar face in fellow former Tiger and All-American, David Toms, who was in Peterson’s group for the third round.
“It was fun,” Toms said in a news release. “And then John made a hole‑in‑one. That’s something he’ll remember. So it was fun for both of us. I wish we could have played a little better for each other, but that’s how it goes.”
The shot was also featured as Sportscenter’s Top play of the week.
“I lost it,” Peterson said. “I went nuts, it was awesome. I get chills watching it again.”
Peterson also admits he blacked out for a little bit following the shot after getting caught up in the excitement of scoring a hole-in-one.
Toms and Peterson have become close friends since Peterson turned pro earlier this year, with the two playing a practice round before the Open this weekend.
Toms, a seasoned veteran who won the 2001 PGA Championship, recovered from a third-round stumble after sharing the 36-hole lead to also finish at 3-over and tie Peterson for fourth place.
“This was the first time LSU has had two former golfers finish in the top five at a major tournament,” Winstead said. “It was a really cool experience for the both of them. They both had a great time and did something that all LSU fans can be proud of.”
Though the pair received plenty of support from the Tiger fans in the gallery, not everyone was on the Tigers’ side.
“It was cool for like two or three holes,” Peterson said in a news release. “But after that it was like, gosh, shut up. We got so many ‘Roll Tides’ and ‘Go Hogs’ and all that. I wanted to throw a ball at them.”
Peterson finished at No. 11 for fairways hit in regulation for the week at 57.1 percent, including a second-round average of 71.4 percent, which led the field. He was also ninth in greens in regulation for the week at 61.1 percent.
According to Peterson, his next move will be the PGA Tour’s Traveler’s Championship at TPC River Highlands course in Cromwell, Conn.
When asked if Peterson thought he could maintain a high level of competitiveness in future events after having such an outstanding debut, his only response was, “Yep, I do.”
Contact Mike Gegenheimer at [email protected]