Michael Whitehead had already made his peace with the fact that he missed out on his opportunity to play in the 2011 U.S. Open. Then his phone rang.
"You still have a spot in the U.S. Open if you want it," said a USGA official on the other end of the line. "Tiger Woods has withdrawn." He answered yes without hesitation, according to ESPN.com.
Now the 23-year old Rice graduate is trying to find a place to stay in the Bethesda, Md., area for free with family as he prepares to compete at Congressional Country Club this weekend.
Whitehead lost in a three-man playoff hole in a qualifier in Dallas on Monday. However, the second chance is something he's revelling in.
"I made my peace with it. OK, you had an opportunity and unfortunately I didn't capitalize on it," Whitehead told ESPN.com. "I was OK. I don't know if stabilize is the right word, but I wasn't down in the dumps when they called. Then all of a sudden I was on cloud nine."
