Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014 - 15

(the golfing life
)
Open to More
Experience
Clayton Rask has
accomplished two of his
goals. Now he's ready
for more.
By Joseph Oberle
W
hen Clayton Rask, a former
Gopher golfer and MGA
Player of the Year, qualified
for the recent U.S. Open at Pinehurst
Resort, a hectic week prior to the event
nearly derailed it. But Rask steadied his
ship, hit the right shots and made the
most of the biggest highlight of his young
professional career.
Rask, who is a member of the
Canadian tour, qualified for the 114th
U.S. Open-his first major-a week
before the tournament in Eugene, Ore.
He made a mad dash back to Victoria,
B.C., to play in an event, then flew to
Pinehurst via Vancouver, Chicago and
Raleigh, N.C. Rask made it in time, but
his golf clubs did not. He played his first
practice round with only three clubs: a
driver put together that morning in the
Titleist equipment tent, a fitting putter
and a lob wedge. Rask said that his caddy,
Eric Chiles, had an easy round that day,
as Rask concentrated on his driving and
short game.
Rask's clubs arrived before his next
practice round, which was with Sergio
Garcia. That, he says, was an experience
to remember. On one hole, onlookers
cheered as Rask striped a perfect approach
to one of Pinehurst's firm and fast greens.
The experienced Garcia chimed in: " Nice
shot; grab your wedge. " Rask soon found
that his great shot had rolled off the green.
" It was by far the most fun I've had
playing golf, " Rask says of that round with
Garcia. " He was absolutely a fantastic
guy-out there laughing, having fun, joking
around. On Sunday we were walking
Keith Ballard
" It really told me that I could do it. I knew I
could before and I just kind of proved it to
myself and showed others that I can do it. "
down adjacent fairways, and he acknowledged
me. I thought that was pretty classy
of him. "
When the golf balls were flying for real,
Rask picked up the course conditions
quickly and enjoyed the " brown " look of
Pinehurst. " You really had to think about
where you wanted to put your shots, " he
says. " It wasn't 'grip it and rip it' all the
time. If you're not going to have five-inch
rough and fast undulating greens, then
you have to have something else protect
it. So they had fast and firm fairways
and sand with wiregrass just off them.
Everybody [watching] on TV thought it
looked brown; I thought it looked great. "
Rask's goal was to make the cut. On Friday,
he was hovering near the cutline and
his fiancé, Gina, kept him informed. With
a par/birdie finish, Rask was in and the
celebration was on. He finished on hole
No. 9 (with a 73-71), but was a 20-minute
walk from the clubhouse. He sent Chiles
ahead on the shuttle with his clubs and
made the trek back with his supporters.
" We all enjoyed it and celebrated
walking in, " Rask says. " We had a lot of
fun together. I couldn't ask for a better
way to do it. I can remember every step. "
Over the weekend, Rask shot a pair of
77s to finish T-63, but he did not leave the
experience disheartened. He recognizes
how much work he must do to get back in
that position, but he is energized because
he knows he has been there.
" It really told me that I could do it, "
Rask says. " I knew I could before and
I just kind of proved it to myself and
showed others that I can do it. If I can get
out there [on the PGA tour], I don't have
a doubt in my mind that I can't stay out
there and contend every week. "
www.mngolf.org
Fall 2014 MINNESOTAGOLFER
13
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE USGA/DARREN CARROLL
http://www.mngolf.org

Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014

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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014 - Cover1
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Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2014 - 3
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