The University of Mississippi Athletics
U.S. Open Rewind, Jackson Suber Ready to Go at Any Given Moment
6/21/2024 | Men's Golf
PINEHURST, N.C. – Life can truly change in an instant and for Ole Miss men's golf alum Jackson Suber, that moment was last Tuesday, June 11.
Suber, one of the most prolific Rebels under head coach Chris Malloy, garnered a multitude of honors during his time in Oxford from 2018-22 where he became a two-time All-American and owns the second-best season stroke average in school history at 69.77. He also led Ole Miss to the school's second-best finish in program history at the 2022 NCAA Championships with the Rebels coming in 14th.
Since turning professional in 2022, Suber has spent time on the Korn Ferry Tour where he had made the cut 22 times in 34 events. Prior to last week, Suber had only participated in two PGA Tour events. After earning his way to the first alternate spot through his play at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier in Rockville, Md., Suber made his way to Pinehurst with the hope of sneaking his way into the field.
During his final hole during the practice round on Wednesday at Pinehurst, Suber received the call that he would need to be ready to go Thursday afternoon for the First Round of the 2024 U.S. Open.
"I was definitely feeling the nerves leading up to the First Round and the first tee," said Suber.
The nerves seemed apparent with a bogey on the second hole, before a birdie on No. 3 allowed him to center himself.
"After the birdie on the third hole, I settled in and it felt like any other tournament," he said.
Playing as it was any other tournament, Suber went on to shoot a first round 69 at 1-under to sit tied for ninth and became one of the biggest stories from the first day of the major. A gritty Round 2 on Friday of a 73 to finish 3-over allowed Suber to make it inside the cutline at 2-over (142) for the first made cut of his career in a PGA Tour event.
Continuing on into the weekend, Suber worked hard to remain competitive in a stacked field, while absorbing everything around him.
"My biggest takeaway was playing major conditions with the course difficulty, firmness and speed," said Suber. "Competing against the top players in the game is very encouraging as well."
Dating back to Ole Miss, Suber has always shown a competitive edge as he earned 12 top-five finishes throughout his Rebel career.
"Playing at Ole Miss definetly prepared me for this moment as we played a lot of tough courses and great competitions," Suber said. "Coach Malloy helped me over the years develop my game into a mature and professional direction."
As for Malloy, it's one of the sport's great successes to be able to see former student-athletes thrive on the professional circuit. It's the most rewarding moment you can have as a coach to watch one of your players live out their dreams," said Malloy. "You spend so much time watching them work to achieve that moment that makes it so special. As I told Jackson up there, this will be the first of many major championships in his career. I'm just happy that I got to see him play in his first."
However, despite being surrounded by some of the best golfers in the world, there was one thing that really stood out to Suber during his time in Pinehurst.
"It was really cool to hear people yelling Hotty Toddy at me all week."
Get all the latest information on the team by following @OleMissMGolf on X and OleMissMGolf on Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at OleMissSports on X and Facebookand OleMissAthletics on Instagram.
Suber, one of the most prolific Rebels under head coach Chris Malloy, garnered a multitude of honors during his time in Oxford from 2018-22 where he became a two-time All-American and owns the second-best season stroke average in school history at 69.77. He also led Ole Miss to the school's second-best finish in program history at the 2022 NCAA Championships with the Rebels coming in 14th.
Since turning professional in 2022, Suber has spent time on the Korn Ferry Tour where he had made the cut 22 times in 34 events. Prior to last week, Suber had only participated in two PGA Tour events. After earning his way to the first alternate spot through his play at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier in Rockville, Md., Suber made his way to Pinehurst with the hope of sneaking his way into the field.
During his final hole during the practice round on Wednesday at Pinehurst, Suber received the call that he would need to be ready to go Thursday afternoon for the First Round of the 2024 U.S. Open.
"I was definitely feeling the nerves leading up to the First Round and the first tee," said Suber.
The nerves seemed apparent with a bogey on the second hole, before a birdie on No. 3 allowed him to center himself.
"After the birdie on the third hole, I settled in and it felt like any other tournament," he said.
Playing as it was any other tournament, Suber went on to shoot a first round 69 at 1-under to sit tied for ninth and became one of the biggest stories from the first day of the major. A gritty Round 2 on Friday of a 73 to finish 3-over allowed Suber to make it inside the cutline at 2-over (142) for the first made cut of his career in a PGA Tour event.
Continuing on into the weekend, Suber worked hard to remain competitive in a stacked field, while absorbing everything around him.
"My biggest takeaway was playing major conditions with the course difficulty, firmness and speed," said Suber. "Competing against the top players in the game is very encouraging as well."
Dating back to Ole Miss, Suber has always shown a competitive edge as he earned 12 top-five finishes throughout his Rebel career.
"Playing at Ole Miss definetly prepared me for this moment as we played a lot of tough courses and great competitions," Suber said. "Coach Malloy helped me over the years develop my game into a mature and professional direction."
As for Malloy, it's one of the sport's great successes to be able to see former student-athletes thrive on the professional circuit. It's the most rewarding moment you can have as a coach to watch one of your players live out their dreams," said Malloy. "You spend so much time watching them work to achieve that moment that makes it so special. As I told Jackson up there, this will be the first of many major championships in his career. I'm just happy that I got to see him play in his first."
However, despite being surrounded by some of the best golfers in the world, there was one thing that really stood out to Suber during his time in Pinehurst.
"It was really cool to hear people yelling Hotty Toddy at me all week."
Get all the latest information on the team by following @OleMissMGolf on X and OleMissMGolf on Instagram and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at OleMissSports on X and Facebookand OleMissAthletics on Instagram.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
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