Pinehurst native Michael McGowan, 33, hits first tee shot at U.S. Open

PINEHURST, N.C. – The ovation for Michael McGowan on Thursday’s opening tee at the U.S. Open was a recognition of a salt-of-the-earth human who has done things the right way.

Childhood friends. New friends. His dad Pat, who played in four U.S. Opens. Roommates. Swing coach. His late mom’s best friend.

They came together at Pinehurst No. 2 in the post-dawn light, as McGowan, 33, led off the U.S. Open at 6:45 a.m. ET by hitting the opening tee shot in his first career PGA TOUR start. It’s rare for a PGA TOUR debutant to justly wear the label of local hero, but it fits McGowan like a glove – he grew up here and developed his game at nearby Pine Needles, which was operated by his grandmother, the late World Golf Hall of Famer Peggy Kirk Bell. He’s here because of Pinehurst; his parents met at Pine Needles when Pat traveled to the Carolina Sandhills for 1977 PGA TOUR Q-School at Pinehurst and met his future wife Bonnie, the daughter of Peggy. They never left.

Bonnie Bell McGowan passed away in early 2023 after battling pancreatic cancer. McGowan’s mom and grandmother were missed deeply Thursday morning, but they were here in spirit, no doubt about it. (After McGowan qualified for the U.S. Open on Golf’s Longest Day in Dallas, Pat McGowan joked to the USGA that “Mrs. Bell and Bonnie used up a few chips upstairs” to make McGowan’s magical U.S. Open appearance possible.)

Roughly 200 friends and family – many wearing “McGowan’s McArmy” shirts and “McGoo” hats – filled the void.

“He’s one of the best human beings you’ll ever meet,” said his longtime friend and roommate Matt Ryan, in attendance at Pinehurst before he heads to Canada for the remainder of the PGA TOUR Americas season, which resumes next week. “Everybody that’s in my life that meets Michael thinks he’s the greatest guy ever. He’ll ger a text, he writes back immediately. There’s no limit for McGowan doing nice things for people. And I know at his mom’s funeral, it was the same message. His dad and his mom are exactly the same.

“We all have families and everyone comes out to support when you play tournaments, but to be in Pinehurst and playing with his family legacy here is incredible.”

McGowan’s road to this point has been long and winding, but it came full circle Thursday in the best way. He played collegiate golf at the University of North Carolina and turned pro in 2015; he has spent time on the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and PGA TOUR Canada.

During his years as a pro, McGowan has developed close friendships with players who are now on the PGA TOUR. Keith Mitchell, whom he met while they were playing PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, was among those in a group chat that was blowing up after McGowan advanced through Final Qualifying, Mitchell said. Harry Higgs, also a Latinoamerica alum, shared a Wednesday practice round with the local favorite.

It all built toward Thursday, and although McGowan snap-pulled his first tee shot en route to a double bogey, he steadied the ship through the round’s middle portion.

“To be out here, it’s just so surreal,” his younger sister Scottie said while traversing the grounds with her young son in a stroller. “We have people coming out of the woodworks for this, so it’s awesome. Everybody’s just giving it 100%, and we couldn’t be any more blessed for the family and friends that we have here.”