'I just feel like my game suits it': Holden's Fran Quinn is excited to be playing in his fourth US Senior Open, this time in Newport
When the U.S. Senior Open was scheduled to be held in 2020 at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I., Fran Quinn was exempt into the field because he had tied for 14th in the U.S. Senior Open the year before.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Senior Open was called off in 2020 because of the pandemic and the event was rescheduled for Newport CC in 2024.
Because of injuries, Quinn lost his playing status on PGA Tour Champions in the meantime, and he turned 59 in March, but he never doubted that he would somehow earn a spot in the field.
And he was right.
On Tuesday, Quinn shot a 2-under 69 to win a U.S. Senior Open qualifier at Franklin Country Club, and he’ll tee off in the U.S. Senior Open, which will be held June 27-30 at Newport CC.
“There was never a doubt,” Quinn said. “Golf has changed so much. Whether it’s equipment, whether it’s training, whether it’s diets.”
Quinn pointed out that many years ago few PGA Tour Champions golfers excelled after age 55 or 56, but now a lot of them do. Last year, at age 65 Bernhard Langer won the U.S. Senior Open for his 46th PGA Tour Champions victory to break Hale Irwin’s record. Stephen Ames has won five times since turning 59 last year. Gene Sauers, who plays three days a week with Quinn in Florida during the winter, remains competitive at age 62. The list goes on.
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Quinn carded his only bogey on the par-5 seventh hole at Franklin CC, but he bounced back with birdies on the next two holes. On the par-3 eighth, he hit a 7-iron about 8 feet behind the hole and sank the putt. On the par-4 ninth, he hit a wedge from 139 yards to within 2 feet and made the putt. He missed a 3-foot birdie putt on 17, but he collected himself and hit a 4-iron to within 20 feet on the par-5 18th and two-putted for birdie.
“I felt if I did what I was capable of doing that I would get through,” he said. “I really played an incredibly solid game of golf. Other than the hiccup on seven, there was never a threat of making bogey, and I had a lot of great looks.”
His playing partner, Jeff Martin, an Attleboro resident who is the head pro at Wollaston Golf Club in Milton, also birdied 18 to finish at 1-under 70. Martin and Carl Pelletier, a teaching pro from outside Quebec City in Canada, defeated Joseph Iaciofano, an amateur from Jupiter, Florida, in a playoff to also advance to the U.S. Senior Open.
This will be Quinn’s fourth U.S. Senior Open. He missed the cut last year by one shot after getting in as an alternate, but he tied for 14th in 2019 and tied for 17th in 2021. He was in contention in 2021 before stumbling with his putter over the last few holes.
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Something about the U.S. Senior Open usually brings out the best in him.
“I just feel like my game suits it,” he said. “I enjoy them. I enjoy how difficult they are and that you have to be patient. Over the years, I’ve learned how to become more patient. It wasn’t always that way.”
Quinn expects to have a lot of family and friends in Newport, which is usually about an hour and a half drive from his home in Holden, but should take longer due to U.S. Senior Open traffic.
“I love it,” Quinn said. “I think it’s a fantastic venue. Guys have asked me about it, and I truly feel it’s going to be one of our best Senior Opens that we’ve had, and we’ve played some great venues.”
Two years ago, Quinn drew some of the loudest cheers of his career when he was introduced on the first tee at the U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline in his home state and less than an hour from his home.
At 57, Quinn was the oldest golfer in the U.S. Open field after becoming the oldest player to survive qualifying since the USGA began keeping such records in the early 1980s.
Quinn admitted he was simply trying to make the cut at TCC, which he didn’t, but he expects to contend at Newport if he plays well. Even at age 59.
“I know age is age,” he said, “but truthfully my speed is better today than it was 12 years ago.”
His club head speed is up to 111 or 112 miles an hour, and his ball speed is 165 miles an hour. He has also spent a lot of time on his chipping and putting.
Quinn’s wife, Lori, caddied for him in the qualifier, and she’ll carry his bag at Newport CC as well.
“We truly believe we can win this thing or compete and get right into contention come Sunday,” he said. “That’s our goal. This is my job. This is what I do. This is what I train for. I’m looking forward to it. I enjoy doing what I do, but it’s a lot of work to stay competitive.”
Quinn played Newport CC twice to prepare for the 2020 U.S. Senior Open before it was canceled and again last October.
Quinn hadn’t played Franklin CC until a couple of practice rounds prior to the qualifier, but the course already held a special place in his heart. At age 16, he caddied for his late father, Fran Sr., in a Massachusetts Amateur qualifier there. Fran Sr. hadn’t played golf in four or five years, but he practiced for two days and managed to qualify. He advanced all the way to the Mass. Amateur final at Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown before losing to Stephen Tasho. In the semifinals, he beat Jim Hallet, who won the Mass. Amateur the following two years.
Quinn must rely on sponsor exemptions or advance through qualifiers to play in PGA Tour Champions events. In his only PGA Tour Champions event so far this year, he tied for 53rd in the Invited Celebrity Classic in Irving, Texas, last month.
He kept his game sharp over the winter by playing in mini-tour events in Florida against golfers half his age or younger.
“It pushes you,” he said, “and you’re trying to hit it a little bit further, you’re trying to make more birdies, you’re trying to do things that you could get complacent with.”
A couple of weeks ago, he and his son Owen played in the $100,000 Clovernook Open in Cincinnati. Owen shared the lead early in the final round and finished in a tie for ninth in the 54-hole event, two shots out of first. Fran Quinn shared 28th at 5 under.
A few days later, Owen shot a 3-under 69 at Kirkbrae CC in Lincoln, Rhode Island, to advance through the first stage of the U.S. Open qualifying. He will play in the 36-hole final qualifying stage on June 3 at Canoe Brook CC in Summit, New Jersey. The U.S. Open takes place June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
If Quinn doesn’t receive a sponsor exemption into the Principal Charity Classic, the PGA Tour Champions event scheduled for next weekend in Des Moines, Iowa, he plans to play in the qualifier on Tuesday. He also hopes to receive sponsor exemptions into the next couple of PGA Tour Champions events.
Quinn, the 1990 Mass. Open champion, plans to play in the Mass. Open at Willowbend in Mashpee June 10-12. Playing against much younger golfers, he tied for 25th in the Mass. Open last year at TPC Boston, where he often works on his game. He also plays golf at Worcester Country Club.
Brendan Hester of Northbridge and Rick Karbowski of Shrewsbury each shot a 2-over 73 at Franklin CC to miss the playoff by three shots. Last year, Hester shot a 2-under 70 at Vesper CC in Tyngsborough to qualify to play in the U.S. Senior Open in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, where he missed the cut. He turned pro last fall.
David Holmes, an amateur from Sutton, shot a 77 at Franklin CC.
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—Contact Bill Doyle at bcdoyle15@charter.net. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @BillDoyle15.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Fran Quinn finally has his shot at US Senior Open in Newport
