Lee Hodges is playing in this weekâs U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club. He qualified for it after winning the Korn Ferry Tourâs Portland Open early last month. It will be Hodgesâ first major championship.
Hodgesâ favorite golfer growing up is also playing in the U.S. Open. Actually, make that Hodgesâ favorite golfer still. It will be the first time they are playing in the same tournament.
Hodges has dreamed of this day. Heâs dreaming of possibly Saturday, too. Here goes:
Hodges is playing during the third round. Heâs a few shots ahead of his favorite golfer. Hodges is standing on 18.
Heâd really, really like to play with Tiger Woods on Sunday.
Hodges. Tiger. The red shirt. Heaven.
âThatâs what I was telling my caddie: If weâre playing the U.S. Open and heâs five shots behind us on Saturday, or, whatever, Friday, and we have to make a quad to play with him, weâre making a quad,â he said a few weeks ago on the Korn Ferry Tourâs âGolf Next Waveâ podcast.
âIâm just kidding,â he quickly added.
Hodges had been close to just watching Woods. Forget playing with.
He entered the Portland Open 15th on the Korn Ferry Tourâs regular-season points list. The top five received exemptions into this yearâs U.S. Open, and Portland was the last event to earn points. Hodges won, his first victory on the Korn Ferry, and moved up to third in the standings.
âIt will be sweet to play in a major,â Hodges told AL.com. âIt will be special. Iâve always admired the U.S. Open. The way you have to play out there, itâs proper golf. I think I play a lot of proper golf, and I hope to go and play well.â
Hodges said he called family back home in Alabama after the victory.
âEverybody was pretty emotional. ….,â Hodges told AL.com. âJust super happy. This means a lot to a lot of people back home and a lot of people in north Alabama. Itâs not just me; itâs everybody back home. Iâm sure theyâre celebrating a lot in north Alabama right now. Weâre going to do some 12-ounce curls.â
He was going to play in the U.S. Open. He was going to play in a major. He was going to play with Woods.
Hodges, 24, told the âGolf Next Waveâ podcast that the first major championship he remembers watching is the 2008 U.S. Open. At that tournament, Woods dropped a 12-foot putt on the 18th hole at Torrey Pines to make a 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate, and he won it the next day.
Twelve years later, Hodges is playing on the same course as his favorite golfer.
He could be playing with him, too.
âI donât know if Iâll be able to take the club back,â Hodges said on the podcast when asked what would happen if were to be paired with Woods. âIâm just kidding. Heâs awesome. Heâs a phenomenal athlete and the way he competes â heâs the greatest to ever play, in my opinion. Itâs hard not to like the greatest at anything.â