U.S. Open 2025: ‘Underdog’ gets in as alternate, says this is exactly how his first major should be
Andrew Redington
OAKMONT, Pa. — Squaring off against a quartet of PGA Tour players in a playoff in a U.S. Open final qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, June 2, Chase Johnson understood the challenge confronting him.
“I definitely was the underdog in the playoff, but I didn't feel it like that way at all,” said Johnson, a former Korn Ferry Tour player who now competes primarily on the Advocates Professional Golf Association tour that provides professional tournament experience for minority golfers.
In fact, he felt fairly comfortable—with himself and with the competition. He had competed against Cameron Young and Eric Cole often on the Korn Ferry Tour. Johnson and Rickie Fowler are both on the Cobra Puma team. And he met Max Homa last fall at Tiger Woods’ TGR Junior Invitational where they did a clinic.
Young won the sixth and final spot available in the five-man showdown at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club with a birdie on the first extra hole, but two holes later Johnson nabbed the first alternate spot by getting up and down for par with a 10-footer while Cole bogeyed. Ranked 1,377th in the world, Johnson was almost assuredly heading to his first major appearance, and, sure enough, on Monday he was informed that he would be making his U.S. Open debut at the mother of all venues, Oakmont Country Club.
Bud Cauley, who tied for second at Kinsale, had become fully exempt by residing among the top 60 in the world after the RBC Canadian Open to pave the way for Johnson.
“Reese [Moseley of the USGA] called me on Sunday night, and I was pretty ecstatic and let a little bit of emotion out,” said Johnson, 29, who now lives in Boynton Beach, Fla. “Obviously there's a bigger job to do now to make it all worth it, but I was extremely excited, and my phone blew up. I think I have 700 messages I haven't gotten through yet.”
His father Mel, who introduced him to the game, couldn’t have been more thrilled, but Johnson said he was, “a little shocked with my dad's response.”
How so?
“He was like, this is amazing,” Chase said. “It's Father's Day weekend. I couldn't ask for anything more. I was like, ‘I think we could think of one thing by Sunday that we could get for you.’”
His father, mother Cheryl, his fiancée Katie Howarth and friends from the Akron area will be on hand when he ventures out for his opening round at 8:46 a.m. EDT with Jinichiro Kozuma of Japan and amateur Cameron Tankersley of Dickson, Tenn.
The Player of the Year on the APGA the last two seasons and the current leader on the 2025 Cisco Cup Standings, Johnson doesn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the prospect of playing against the world’s best on a course world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler called, “probably the hardest golf course that we'll play, maybe ever.”
During his press conference on Wednesday, he oozed confidence and a comfort level that belied his rookie status. “This is how I would want my first U.S. Open experience to be,” he said with a wide, toothy grin reminiscent of his idol, the aforementioned Woods.
Andrew Redington
The only Black player in the 156-man field, Johnson is no stranger to a big stage, though. He has played in eight PGA Tour events, including the 2024 Genesis Invitational hosted by Woods. He finished 51st at rugged Riviera Country Club. In the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he earned a spot as the winner of The John Shippen invitational, Johnson became the first Shippen winner to make the cut.
The assumption, given his relative inexperience at this level, is that Johnson should somehow be intimidated. He might be new to majors, but not to exposure to major winners. He has competed against Scheffler since junior golf, and remarked, slyly, “Obviously he's figured something out a lot quicker than I did. But eventually I'll get to the point that I want to be at.”
His poise in the final qualifier in his home state proves he belongs. So do his words when asked about mingling with the game’s best.
“I mean, you want to beat them. It boils down to that,” Johnson said. “Yeah, they're role models for a lot of players, but at the end of the day, you want to compete against the best players in the world and you want to beat them.”
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