Mariemont High School junior Will Grimmer qualified for the U.S. Open Championship after a long day of golf Springfield Country Club. He settled with 5-under-par for 36 holes. “I looked up while playing the 18th hole during my second round and saw that there were nearly 100 people watching me. It was then that I realized that I must be doing pretty well and could possibly be in one of the top three spots to qualify for the Open.”
Grimmer is the youngest golfer to qualify for the U.S. Open this year and will be playing the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 on Thursday, June 12 and Friday, June 13. He could then go on to play on Saturday and Sunday if he qualifies for the next round. Out of the 156 golfers, 60 qualify.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I first picked up a club. It’s shocking – the moment you realize your dream has come true. I’ve nagged my dad many times about taking me down to play Pinehurst No. 2 and he always said ‘Just qualify for the U.S. Open and then you can play it five or six times in a week’ and here I am. I just can’t believe it.”
The tournament will air on ESPN on Thursday and Friday and NBC on Saturday and Sunday. “I’ve played in front of hundreds of people before, but never thousands of people, not counting the millions that will be watching on TV. This is definitely an experience, and I hope to learn a lot while I’m there and just soak it all in.”
Grimmer said he is excited about the whole experience – about doing interviews, playing golf and interacting with some of golf’s biggest legends.
Grimmer’s caddy will be Michael Misleh, who is a life-long friend and will be a freshman at Xavier University next year. Misleh was also his caddy at the qualifier at Springfield. “I’ve known him since I was seven years old. I’m grateful he’ll be coming to Pinehurst with me because, not only do I value his advice, but he helps me stay relaxed and not get too caught up in all of it.”
Swing instructor Doug Martin will also accompany Grimmer to Pinehurst. Martin is the University of Cincinnati’s men’s golf coach and has played at nearly a dozen U.S. Open Championship tournaments before he retired, due to an injury. Grimmer hopes that Mariemont High School varsity golf coach Denny Nead will also be able to make the trek to Pinehurst. Grimmer’s family and some close friends will accompany him to North Carolina. Will is the son of Sarah and Kevin Grimmer of Columbia Township.
By qualifying for the U.S. Open, Grimmer automatically qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship in August at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Grimmer is a two-time state finalist, finishing 5th as a sophomore and 2nd as a junior. He is also the two-time Cincinnati Division II Player of the Year.
“I love the big stage and there’s nothing bigger than the U.S. Open. But in reality, it’s just another round of golf.”
Will played very well and garnered great experience but, as expected in his first try, failed to make the cut. This is just one of the milestones in a promising future career.
Congratulations from the staff of Mariemont.com