Nick Barrett, a UPS driver from Catonsville, Maryland, had the chance to qualify for the U.S. Open, but a mental error cost him his chance to play against the professionals.
Per the Baltimore Sun’s Edward Lee, Barrett, 31, shot a score of 73 in the first round of a U.S. Open qualifying event in Maryland on Monday, but he didn’t sign his scorecard for the first 18 holes within a certain allotted time, leading to his disqualification.
Barrett was invited to the qualifying event at Woodmont Country Club after scoring a 68 in the first round of U.S. Open qualifying at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring on May 5.
After finishing the round on Monday, his playing partners appeared at the scorer’s tent to sign their scorecards, but Barrett was not with them. By the time the next group of golfers showed up, officials were forced to disqualify Barrett.
“I stood up after I had a hot dog or something at lunch, and I felt my back pocket, and I felt the scorecard in there, and as soon as I did that, my heart went straight to the bottom of my stomach,” Barrett said.
He showed up at the scorer’s tent 20 minutes after finishing his round, but he was too late.
Barrett, who had about 40 family members in attendance, per Lee, took ownership of the mistake.
“It’s really upsetting to go out like that because it wasn’t anything I did on the course or because I signed something wrong,” he said. “I just got caught up in the moment. That was my responsibility, and I just didn’t do it.”
Barrett also said the disqualification ended the start of what he believed was going to be a promising day.
“I was starting to feel a little bit more comfortable with my game,” he said. “I’m not saying I was going to go out there and shock the world, but I was feeling a lot better after playing the first round. It’s just a real shame that I couldn’t go back out there.”
According to Lee, Barrett previously reached the final qualifying stage for the U.S. Open in 2023 and advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur.
He’ll now look to bounce back from Monday’s mental lapse and prepare for his next event.
