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Don't look now, but Ty Tryon is in the US Open

Shane Bacon

When doing a little research on the man that is now Ty Tryon, I ran across this lead on his Wikipedia page, and it says everything you need to know about the public perception of Tryon: "William Augustus `Ty' Tryon IV (born June 2, 1984) is an American professional golfer who was touted as a child prodigy, but has yet to make a competitive impact in the sport."

The most telling part of that entire introduction to the kid that once made a cut on the PGA Tour when he was 16? He was born in 1984, making him barely 26 years old. Most golfers hardly find their game until late in their 20s, yet the expectations with Tryon have always been more hefty than a McDonald's dumpster.

On Monday in Rockville, Md., Tryon qualified for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, his first appearance in a major championship and something that shouldn't come as much surprise to anyone that knows the talents of Tryon. While he hasn't done a ton of good things on the PGA Tour (his last appearance was way back in 2003), he has been able to pick up some wins in some smaller events around the country and gain valuable experience as a professional golfer.

For every Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson bringing in millions upon millions, there are guys like Tryon who are talented enough to beat those two guys on any given week but either can't catch the break at the right time (remember there is only one qualifying week, and if you aren't playing well, you aren't getting in) or they still need time to develop.

Tryon shot 64-74 to make it to Pebble Beach, and while the first-round 64 was incredible, it was his second round that makes you understand the difference in maturity level for a guy 26 compared to the 16-year-old Tryon. After a double-bogey on No. 5 in the afternoon round, and without his best stuff, Ty was able to get up and down five times on his inward nine to save par.

Who knows how Tryon will play back on the PGA Tour with all the superstars, but his qualifying for the event tells us all something we shouldn't forget: Tryon will be a factor on the PGA Tour one day, and just because he's been around for a decade doesn't mean his game is done.

I'm hoping the moment he does something we've expected him to do in the near future, I can be the first to change that Wikipedia introduction. His impact will come, and this is most likely the first step.