From the Brink of Retirement to the Shinnecock Spotlight: The Harry Higgs Turnaround
Just ten days ago, Harry Higgs was sitting in his car outside a U.S. Open qualifying site in North Carolina, completely burned out and ready to walk away from professional golf for good. Tortured by the relentless mental pressure he had been putting on himself during a prolonged slump, the fan-favorite golfer known affectionately as “the Big Rig” had seen enough.
Through the first six holes of the grueling 36-hole marathon qualifier at Gaston Country Club on June 8, things were going exactly as they had all season. Higgs was missing short birdie putts, made a terrible bogey on the sixth hole, and reached a breaking point. Frustrated and exhausted, he pulled out his phone right there on the course and booked a flight from Charlotte back home to Kansas City. His plan was simple: play three more holes, walk off the green after the ninth, pack his bags, and head to the airport. He didn’t know if he was going to show up for his next scheduled tournament, and he honestly didn’t know if he would ever pick up a club competitively again.
A Chaotic Journey to Player No. 156
But golf has a funny way of rewarding those who stick around. Higgs managed to fight off the urge to quit, grinding through the remaining 27 holes of the qualifier. While he didn’t secure an automatic spot in the field, his resilience earned him a crucial first-alternate position.
Fast-forward to the following week: When Bud Cauley won the Canadian Open and gained automatic entry into the major championship, a spot opened up. Higgs received the official call confirming he was in while preparing to fly out of Texas. His flight was delayed, meaning he didn’t land in New York until Monday afternoon, arriving at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club as player No. 156 out of 156.
The chaotic journey to the tournament only grew more bizarre on Thursday morning. Because he had been added to the field so late, Higgs had left his clothes completely unpacked in his suitcase. Rushing out of his hotel room for the opening round, he accidentally grabbed the wrong pair of pants and showed up to the strict, traditional confines of Shinnecock Hills wearing shorts. Realizing his wardrobe malfunction just in time, he made a frantic, last-minute pants change before hitting his opening tee shot.
Finding Peace and Making the Cut
Despite the frantic start, the wardrobe scare turned out to be a good omen. Higgs opened the tournament with a highly respectable 1-over-par 71. He followed that up on Friday with a spectacular 2-under-par 68, safely securing his first made cut of the year on the PGA Tour.
His stellar second round was highlighted by an incredible 75-foot birdie putt from well off the green on the 11th hole. In the past, missing that green would have caused an emotional spiral, but Higgs credited a major shift in his attitude for keeping him grounded. He admitted he only had a minor “3 out of 10” freakout, whereas a week earlier, it would have been a total meltdown in which he blamed anyone but himself.
Choosing to Be a Factor on the Weekend
Instead of berating himself, Higgs chose to play like he belonged. Entering the weekend at 1-under par, he sits just six strokes behind tournament leader Wyndham Clark. For a man who was booking a flight home to quit the sport less than two weeks ago, playing the weekend at a major championship feels entirely surreal.
Wyndham Clark Takes Early Lead at Shinnecock Hills as U.S. Open Battle Begins to Intensify
Higgs noted that he felt like a rock star on the course and realized he didn’t have to be a small, insignificant piece of the field. No matter what happens over the final two rounds in New York, the Big Rig has already provided one of the most inspiring turnaround stories of the summer.
Yashpal Singh brings readers closer to the action with coverage of sports news, game updates, athlete stories, team developments, and major moments from the field. From local matchups to broader sports headlines, his reporting focuses on the stories fans care about most.