The margin was one shot.

Six starts, five decided by a single shot or a single playoff hole. A stretch that would wear on anyone — except the swing has never felt better.

Shinnecock closed. Nashville opened.

Final Qualifying for the U.S. Open came down to Springfield Country Club on June 8th. I shot 71-72 — not bad, not great, and not enough. It closed one chapter, but it opened the door to something that's changed the way I'm playing: I started working with a new swing coach, Ben Pellicani, down in Nashville.

Since then, the ball-striking has been the best it's been in a long time. The results just haven't fully caught up yet — and the scores below tell exactly that story.

Not a slump. A squeeze.

Five events. Five times I walked off the course having done almost enough. That's the story of this stretch — not a slump, a squeeze.

Six events, five finishes decided by a single shot or a single playoff hole. It's the kind of stretch that could wear on you if you let it — but the golf itself tells a different story. The 2nd-place finish in Toronto backs it up: the game is there. The scoreboard just hasn't tipped my way yet.

On deck: the Kentucky Open.

Bag's packed. Range work ahead of tee time.

Next up is the Kentucky Open at Indian Hills Country Club — the first chance to see how the work with Ben Pellicani holds up under tournament pressure since that string of near-misses.

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What's next.

One step closer to Shinnecock.

A 4-under 68 at Findlay Country Club punches the ticket to U.S. Open Final Qualifying. Thirty-six holes between me and a tee time at Shinnecock Hills.

Findlay Country Club · April 28, 2026 · Local Qualifying advancement

The round — holding it together when the course wouldn't.

Local Qualifying is a single 18-hole round, one chance, no second day. At Findlay Country Club on April 28th, the course was water-soaked from heavy rain and the wind was up most of the morning. I was able to navigate the conditions and shoot a 4-under 68 — one eagle, three birdies, no real damage anywhere on the card.

That score was enough to advance.

What advancing actually means.

The U.S. Open is the most open championship in golf — there's no qualifying school, no points list, no shortcut. Any professional or any amateur with a 0.4 handicap or better can apply. This year the USGA accepted 10,201 entries. The path is two stages: 18-hole Local Qualifiers across more than 100 sites, then 36-hole Final Qualifiers — the day they call golf's longest day — at thirteen sites worldwide. From there, 156 players make the field at Shinnecock.

Local was Tuesday. Final Qualifying is June 8th. One day, two rounds, against a deeper field that includes locally exempt players who skipped the first stage. It's a different test entirely. But that's why they call it the longest day in golf — and that's exactly where I want to be.

The bigger arc.

The last few months have a rhythm to them. Tour Americas Q-School in the spring gave me a top-ten and a place to compete from. The two Monday Qualifiers in Brazil and Argentina were close — two shots and one shot outside of playoffs. Now this. You don't always feel the momentum when you're inside it, but the rounds are stacking, and the doors are still opening.

Shinnecock Hills is one of the cathedrals of the game. The U.S. Open has been played there six times — Floyd, Pavin, Goosen, Koepka. Thirty-six holes from now, I find out if my name gets to be on the same tee sheet.

What's next.

The next several weeks build toward June 8.

Thanks to everyone following along. The support has been real, and it shows up in moments like this one.

South America — close, but clarifying.

Two starts on two continents. Two shots away from two playoffs. A lot learned on both sides.

I wanted to share where the 2026 season stands after the first two events — both of them Monday Qualifiers in South America, and both of them the kind of close that teaches you something.

Rio — two outside a playoff.

First up was Rio de Janeiro, where I played the Monday Qualifier for the 71st ECP Brazil Open. I shot two under and finished two shots outside of a playoff. It was a sharp day of golf — good rhythm, clean ball-striking, no real mistakes — but the cut line was lower than the score, and two under wasn't enough.

Córdoba — one shot shy.

The following week I was in Córdoba, Argentina, for the Monday Qualifier for the 94th Abierto Telecom Del Centro presentado por Zurich. Two under again — and this time, one shot outside a playoff. Closer still, which is how it goes: you chase it, you almost get it, and you learn what almost actually costs.

What the two weeks actually gave me.

The results weren't what I was after. But both weeks were incredibly valuable. Competing in a new environment against strong international fields taught me a great deal — about my game, my process, and what it takes to perform when the margin for error is this small.

I'm walking away from South America having learned a great deal, and more confident than ever in where my game is headed. Two under isn't a finished product. But it's the right direction — and the kind of consistency that eventually punches through.

What's next.

I'm back stateside and ready to get to work. The next several weeks are stacked:

I genuinely appreciate the continued support — it makes a real difference in my ability to compete at this level. I'll keep the updates coming as these events unfold.