Sitting on a shuttle in a Macy's parking lot, on her way to the Houston airport earlier this week, Tricia Landry picked up her phone and dialed her son Andrew.
"I just needed to hear your voice," she said, tears flowing down her face.
"It's going to be OK," Andrew reassured her. "It's just another tournament."
Only it's not really just another tournament; it's the U.S. Open. And it's especially not just another tournament for Andrew Landry, the Texan ranked 624th in the world who had to qualify just to be here.
So on Thursday when her son strolled up the seventh fairway Thursday at mighty Oakmont, the leader of the U.S. Open by three strokes, Tricia Landry looked back.
Back to the day she told her brother, a golfer, her two sons wanted to play the game. "Don't let 'em go to the range," he told her. "They'll get lazy. Buy 'em a bucket of balls and take 'em to the school."
Back to the summer weekends in Texas when she and Drew (as she calls him) hopped in the car to head to another golf tournament.
Back to the day in Little Rock, Ark., on their way to Lafayette where Drew went to college, when he turned to her and said, "I know I can make it."
Back to the times he'd call home from Q-School, where golfers go to qualify for the PGA Tour, to say, "I'm done."
A three-time All-American at Arkansas, Landry turned pro in 2009, bouncing around the mini tours. He didn't play in his first PGA Tour event until last year, and in 11 tournaments this season he's missed six cuts.
In his best season on the Web.com Tour, he earned $171,792. After taxes and expenses, there's not much left.
This, more than, say, the Jordan Spieth HOV lane, is the typical road for golfers trying to make it as professionals.
"He's never cared much about being broke," Tricia says as Drew digs into the rough on the seventh where his drive has landed – his first real bout of trouble all day. "He'd say, 'It just is what it is.' "
Oakmont's rough, thick as a ZZ Top beard, forces Drew to lay up, bringing bogey into play.
"He's such a good kid," Tricia says of her 28-year-old son. "He sent us a text the other day before he played in the St. Jude Classic [named after the children's hospital in Memphis that's focused on children's catastrophic diseases]."
"Dear Mom and Dad, I was just given the opportunity to go make a difference in someone's life today. I will be going on Tuesday from 12-3 to go visit and meet with the kids from St. Jude here in Memphis. At first I was scared to death to even do it because I wouldn't think I would be strong enough but when I think about what they do everyday of their lives at such a young age I HAVE TO GO! I will be meeting some of the strongest individuals on this earth and wouldn't miss it for the world. It has already given me this warm feeling of being so blessed to be healthy and to be pursuing a passion that is in the big picture … just menial. I just wanted to share this with you both because I know this is God putting his hands on me to see the big picture of life and how short our time is here. You both have instilled so much in me and if I can just help 1 person fight a little harder and be a little more stronger I will feel like we made a difference. I love you both"
Tears roll out from under her sunglasses as she recalls the text.
All of these thoughts are running through her head Thursday as she looks out at that seventh fairway, the scoreboard on the other side showing her son as the leader of the U.S. Open.
Landry ended up bogeying the seventh, then the eighth. At nine he'd stick his approach to 10 feet, giving himself a good look at birdie. That's when play was halted for the third time on the day due to weather, this time for good, with only nine players finishing and half the field yet to tee off.
As it stands, just seven players are under par. Bubba Watson and Danny Lee are at 2-under with only a handful of holes to play. At the top sits Groves, Texas' Andrew Landry at 3-under.
"I know the struggle," Tricia says.
No, it's not just another tournament.
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