Golfers hit the links for final practice rounds ahead of U.S. Open

<p>The world's best golfers will tee off for round one Thursday morning at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jun 13, 2018, 6:26 PM

Updated 2,306 days ago

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The world's best golfers hit the links Wednesday for the third and final practice rounds ahead of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
All of the big names have been at the Southampton course all week getting ready for the Open, including Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.
But there's also a local golfer who qualified. Stewart Hagestad is a member of Deepdale Country Club in Manhasset and works as a financial analyst at night.
Hagestad had the lowest round of any amateur at the Masters last year and he hopes to have a similar outing at the U.S. Open.
"I just think the knowledge that I've been here before and I've played well on one of the biggest stages in a major, I think it gives me confidence that I can do it again," Hagestad said.
He says nothing phases him, as he's played in the Masters and the U.S. Open before. However, he did say he got a little starstruck when Woods stepped onto the green.
According to Hagestad, who's only played Shinnecock a handful of times, the U.S. Open could be a challenge of any golfer.
Round one of the Open starts Thursday morning.