Even professionals make mistakes.
Adam Svensson’s costly error in the US Open golf qualifier in Ontario on Monday night could spell disaster for the PGA Tour pro.
After Max McGreevy sank his birdie putt to secure the final U.S. open spot at Lambton Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Svensson assumed his long day — 36 holes in regulation plus a three-hole playoff on what is known as “golf’s longest day” — was over.
He quickly grabbed his ball marker and went to shake hands with McGreevy.
But Svensson’s par putt would have tied him with the other golfer, Matt Wallace, in the qualifier for the first alternate spot.
The two would have played on to see who earned the crucial first alternate spot.
When he picked up his marker, it turned into a DNF, leaving Svensson as the second alternate.
“This is a big deal. It’s a really big deal. There is a good opportunity that Matt Wallace is going to play. Often, we see the first alternate get in,” professional golfer Brendon de Jonge said, according to GOLF.com.
“It’s a big mistake made there by Adam Svensson. Unfortunately, at the end of a long day, you can make these kinds of mental errors … He just blanked out, obviously.”
The U.S. Open alternates are chosen based on the strenth of the qualifying field — and the one in Ontario was deep with multiple pros teeing it up for a spot at Shinnecock next week.
At the end of the two rounds, Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti and Marcelo Rozo had all secured their spot in the Open.
However, eight players were all tied at 6-under, and they were left to battle it out for the final three spots.
William Mouw birdied the first hole of the playoff and John Parry the second to both put themselves in the field. While Max Homa bogeyed the first to eliminate himself from contention.
Svensson, McGreevy and Wallace were left fighting for the last spot — and Svensson’s mental error will likely be what keeps him out of the field.
There is still one more qualifying tournament to be finished in Oregon on Tuesday morning before all possible competitors are known.
The U.S. Open will have 156 players in the tournament and begins June 18.
For alternates like Wallace and Svensson, they are hoping some of the direct qualifiers will withdraw from the tournament as often happens.
