A 31-year-old UPS driver was cruising through the first 18 holes of a U.S. Open qualifier, only to get disqualified for an error off the course in Rockville, Md., on Monday.
Nick Barrett of Catonsville was disqualified from a qualifying event at Woodmont Country Club for not signing his scorecard within a certain allotted time.
During an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Barrett recalled the sinking feeling that overcame him when he realized his scorecard was still in his back pocket during a lunch break after shooting a 73 while at the midpoint of what was supposed to be a 36-hole day.
“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,” he said.
Barrett, who had about 40 family members and friends supporting him at the event, showed up at the scorer’s tent to sign his scorecard about 20 minutes after his round had ended, and the officials had ruled him disqualified.
“It’s kind of hard to express, but just disappointment in myself because at the end of the day, it is my responsibility as a player. I can’t blame anybody but me,” he said. “It’s just a total gut punch.”
His playing partners, Cole Miller, of New Tripoli, Pa., and Jason Li, of Sewickley, Pa., signed their scorecards on time and waited for Barrett at the scorers’ tables, but he never showed up, according to the Baltimore Sun.
“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,” Barrett said. “I just got caught up in the moment. That was my responsibility, and I just didn’t do it.”
Barrett tallied an even-par 35 through his first nine holes, and he opened the back nine with a birdie on the par-5 10th.
“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.”
Barrett added that his mistake is a teachable moment.
“If people hear this, for me specifically, I can take this as a learning experience,” he said. “I’ve never had a problem with rules in the past, and it only takes one time for you to feel this way to never want to feel it again.”
Barrett shot a bogey-free round of 68 in the first round of U.S. Open qualifying at Northwest Golf Course in Silver Spring on May 5 to reach this stage
He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2024 U.S. Mid-Amateur and reached the final qualifying stage for the U.S. Open in 2023.