BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Manav Shah has become the first Bakersfield resident in history to qualify for the US Open, claiming one of the coveted spots after 36 straight holes of golf in Dallas earlier this month.
The Centennial High School graduate has come a long way from the first time he picked up a club at age 6. Shah says he started taking golf seriously in middle school and found success early.
"Did fairly well, and then you know, happened to play really good in high school. Two-time all-area player of the year, started getting recruited for colleges," Shah said.
Shah started his career at the University of San Diego, transferring to UCLA after his freshman year.
But in his final years as a college golfer, Shah says it could have gone either way, noting that without the support he's gotten from his parents and inner circle, he likely would have given up the dream of pro golf long ago.
"[My dad] and my mom have been such a great support system. They've always kind of instilled in me, you know, whatever you want to do in life, if you just give it your full heart, you can, you can, you can do anything you want," Shah said. "It's my 10th season as a professional. It's a crazy, lonely road. If I didn't have the support system, I did – I would have hung it up a long time ago. So, shout out to the crew, they know who they are."
That support has led to a U.S. Open start — and Shah says it's a milestone he has long dreamed of.
"My first major, and the U.S. Open is the one I've always wanted to play," Shah said.
After making it through the local qualifying round, Shah headed to Dallas for 36 holes to fight his way into the field. With his wife caddying for him, he said it was her mindset of taking it one hole at a time — or 2.75% of the day at a time — that kept him going.
"She did some math on it. Every hole is like 2.75% of the whole day, so we're like, let's just get through one hole at a time. Let's play one shot at a time, keep it super simple, kind of add all up at the end, and see where we are," Shah said. "There's multiple times where I was like, well, I'm, you know, my legs are feeling heavy, I'm getting drained, and it's hard to focus, but you know, having her out there was a huge help."
The support spilled over into Wednesday morning, when Shah's former coach, Larry Cook, stopped by to offer his congratulations.
"Over the moon, brother, you know, I mean, we all talk. Every kid out here that shot even par or under 75 has thought of it," Cook said. "To make it is just — I don't have any words for it. It's just — it's a dream come true for both of us."
Shah says he doesn't plan on resting on his laurels and is already thinking about how to prepare for the biggest tournament of his career.
"I'll likely take a scouting trip pretty soon, maybe within the next week, week or two. Just go get on site, see the course, see the fields. Been told it's gonna be the hardest course I've ever played in life, so definitely going to try to go play it a bunch," Shah said.
Shah is slated to take on the golfing world's best when he heads to Shinnecock Hills for the U.S. Open, which tees off on June 18.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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