By Alexander Vafeas, Sports@CJC

PALM COAST — Out of golf’s four major championships, none brings unlikely groups of people together quite like the U.S. Open. That was exactly what one could observe while at The Conservatory at Hammock Beach for the first round of Open qualifiers. 

Nearly 80 golfers competed in Palm Coast to attempt to earn one of five coveted spots in the final round of qualifying for this year’s major tournament in Pinehurst, North Carolina. They came from all walks of golf life, from young amateurs to more experienced professionals trying to earn their Tour cards.

One group in particular stood out. While standing on a hill next to the 16th green, three golfers were spread out around the fairway about to make their approach shots to the green. 

The first two, RJ Milford a fitness trainer from St. Johns, Florida, and Aiden Byce, a 20-year-old Clemson University student from Anderson, South Carolina, both hit their shots safely up onto the green, giving each a solid look to two-putt for par. 

The youngest of the bunch, 17-year-old Trace Carter from Blackshear, Georgia, had a different plan. After a quick discussion with his 16-year-old friend and caddie, Jackson Ray, the young golfer hit his iron shot to within 3 feet of the pin, eventually tapping in for birdie. 

Throughout the round, Carter would continue to shape his shots up and down the difficult Conservatory course, finishing the best of his group at 1-over-par 73. For many amateurs, trying to qualify for the U.S. Open would be a nerve racking experience. But not for Carter, who had no issue keeping his composure.

“I just try to take it one shot at a time,” Carter said with a grin. “They all equal the same… if you hit a bad shot they aren’t going to let you hit again so there’s nothing you can do about it but keep a level head through ups and downs.”

Carter is a rising senior at Ware County High School in Waycross, Georgia. His claim to fame is finishing as the runner-up in the 2022 Drive, Chip and Putt contest at Augusta National, and has the picture with 2020 Masters winner Dustin Johnson to prove it.

Drive, Chip and Putt is an annual junior competition during Masters week that tests the participants skills in the three major facets of golf. Much like the U.S. Open competitors must go through two rounds of qualifiers before making it to Augusta. 

Carter is also a Callaway sponsored amateur through the Callaway Next program. He is currently ranked as the No. 532 junior golfer by the American Junior Golf Association. 

After an hour-long rain delay, the Georgia native was back on the course, attempting to pick up where he left off. He would par his first two holes out of the delay before finding himself in a tough situation at No. 5. 

The fifth hole at the Conservatory course is a 434-yard par-4 that features a water hazard between the tee box and the fairway. The hole is also a dogleg left, meaning that golfers either have to shape their shot toward the green or lay-up, giving themselves a good lie for their approach. 

An ambitious Carter chose to go for it, but found himself in the rough after a drive piped almost dead straight landed him on the opposite side of the cart path. With the green out of sight Carter once again consulted Ray, explaining that he wanted to take the risky approach and hit the blind shot over the hill and towards the green. 

“I just told [Ray] I was going to commit to that line,” Carter said. “I felt like I had a better shot at starting on a line [rather] than going around it.”

A very familiar duo, Ray knows exactly when to give his input and when to trust his golfer’s gut. 

“I know he’s going to do what he does.” Ray chimed in. “So I wasn’t going to try and talk him out of it.” 

He ended up bogeying the hole, one of only three bogeys on the round. Carter also carded two birdies and finished the tournament tied for 18th at 1-over, missing qualifying for the final round by only three strokes. 

The tandem Carter and Ray aren’t done yet. Ray will be back on the bag for an upcoming tournament in Orlando. Both are also competing in the Georgia State golf tournament for the Ware County High School team May 20-21 

Carter also has a strong desire to play golf at the collegiate level, having talked to multiple programs thus far, including Iowa and Georgia Southern. He also hopes to make it down to Gainesville to visit UF in the future.

“I love the course [Mark Bostick],” Carter said. “It’s really challenging.” 

Wherever the young star ends up he plans to continue his goal of planning pro golf and trying to qualify for the U.S. Open. And maybe Ray will still be at his side caddying for him.

Alexander Vafeas is a sports journalism student at the University of Florida.

Posted: May 19, 2024
Category: Covering the U.S. Open
Tagged as: 2024 U.S. Open, Covering the U.S. Open