Oakmont (United States) (AFP) – Not many golfers take confidence from a double bogey, but that’s exactly what Thriston Lawrence did to bolster himself in Thursday’s first round of the US Open at Oakmont. The 28-year-old South African made a double bogey at the par-four ninth hole, dropping him to level par and wiping out his front-nine work.
“What gave me confidence is looking at the leaderboard afterward on nine,” Lawrence said. “When I made double, I saw I’m still top 10. That sort of made me just realize that you don’t lose much when you make bogeys around this golf course.” Lawrence followed with a 24-foot birdie putt at the 10th, a five-footer to birdie the par-five 12th, and a four-footer for birdie at 17 to shoot a three-under 67 and sit in second place.
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“I’m playing well,” Lawrence said. “I feel like I’m a great driver of the golf ball. I like to work it around.” Lawrence played in two DP World Tour events rather than PGA Tour starts recently because he couldn’t sort out logistical issues. “Got into Canada, but I couldn’t get a Visa. South Africans have to apply 400 days in advance. So I had to apply before I got my card. Bit odd, that,” Lawrence said. “I don’t like missing events when I get opportunities, but that’s the unfortunate thing of having a South African passport.”
Lawrence said he will always have space in his globetrotting schedule for the European circuit. “Just going back there, I need to play golf, I need to do what I do and work,” he said. “In Belgium, I finished fourth on a golf course that I know. I’ve played there two years before that. So that obviously gives you confidence. Here on the PGA Tour, every single golf course is new. If I manage to keep my card this year on the PGA Tour, next year I will feel like all golf courses are familiar.”
“I feel like I’ve adapted because I travel all around the world, but it just doesn’t always work as planned.” Lawrence takes travel troubles in stride after 11 years as a pro golfer. “I’m quite of an introvert when it comes to traveling stuff,” he said. “As a junior in South Africa, you play 35 events, so even as an 8-, 9-year-old, I was away every single weekend for golf tournaments. Homesick, I mean, it’s not nice. I would love to be home, but my girlfriend traveling with me, me and my caddie are good mates, my physio as well. So I’ve got a nice team and enough people to keep me entertained.”
For now, he’s making trips rather than basing out of one spot. “It’s easy with AirBNB to just book somewhere and just go wherever you want and not get attached,” he said. “It would be nice to get something, but I’m not yet sure where that is for now.”
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