It’s never a great feeling to finish last in a fantasy football league, and for one man, he got hit twice with unfortunate results.
Due to his last place finish, John Eckert competed in a local 2022 U.S. Open qualifier at Oakwood Country Club in Kansas City, Mo. His results went about as well as one can hope.
Eckert finished in last place, again, after carding a 40-over 112, which was 40 strokes behind winners Ryan Argotsinger and Andrew Beckler.
Eckert arrived late for his tee time at one point because he went to the wrong hole. He admitted he knew where the 10th hole was but wanted to get in extra work on the range.
“As if it would matter,” Eckert said, per ESPN’s Mark Schlabach.
The U.S. Open is one of the top major tournaments in golf, so how did the field react to Eckert, who was mainly competing to fulfill a wager rather than seriously qualify for the U.S. Open Eckert’s caddie informed his two playing partners, after the first two holes, why he was out there. The other two golfers appeared to not have any problems as long as Eckert kept pace of play and respected the course.
“I’m pretty happy with the four pars, for sure,” Eckert told ESPN on Tuesday, via text message. “The walking got to me. I’m more of a cart guy myself.”
Of course, another question that arrives about Eckert’s experience is how was he able to compete in the U.S. Open qualifier? Todd Stice, director of rules and competitions for Central Links Golf in the Kansas City area, said Eckert was able to enter the tournament because he had designated himself as a professional player on his registration form. Only amateurs are subject to USGA rules that require a 1.4 handicap or lower to play in the U.S. Open qualifiers.
The downside from this, however, is that the USGA will inform Eckert he can no longer compete in its events because of his high score. He also has lost his amateur status by designating himself as a pro.
“I can’t imagine his amateur status is of concern to him,” Stice said to ESPN.
While Eckert is unlikely to compete in future competitions, the tour continues on with the lead-up to the PGA Championship on May 19.
