The U.S. Open returns to the Boston area next month for the first time since 1988, and before the golfers get set to take on The Country Club in June, some local athletes got to warm it up for them.
New England Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer and Joe Cardona took part in Media Day for the golf major last Wednesday, taking advantage of the opportunity to play the historic championship course in Brookline after offseason training activities.
"The goal is to hit enough good shots to continue playing," Hoyer said before teeing off on the first hole.
"Like, man, if I could just eliminate those bad ones I usually have enough good ones. That's the problem, right?"
Both Hoyer and Cardona did just that, though all the power they could muster was necessary on certain holes.
In anticipation of the 2022 U.S. Open, the course tweaked its usual Championship Course layout to be a bit longer than big tournaments played there in the past.
In addition to its already challenging hills, the Open Course will play as a par 70 that spans 7,312 yards.
"The course is definitely challenging, the greens are super fast," Hoyer said after finishing his round at one of the oldest country clubs in the United States, confirming he was happy enough with his play to continue pursuing golf.
Both he and his teammate put together some good holes, with Cardona sinking the single birdie of the day from the twosome thanks to some pointers from caddies Matt and Forrest.
The first round of the 2022 U.S. Open begins on Thursday, June 16.
Though Hoyer and Cardona both got to hold the prestigious trophy, you can expect Patriots players to revert back to the other side of the ropes when the best golfers in the world come to town to compete for the 122nd major of its kind.
"The course is ready for the pros, it's safe to say," Cardona said. "They're ready to kick us amateurs off."
