Thirteen-year-old Jaden Soong has fallen short of qualifying for the U.S. Open, but he has made a name for himself in professional golf.
According to ABC 7, the seventh grader from Burbank, California, was among 89 players on Monday who competed for a spot at the U.S. Open, the annual national championship golf tournament in the U.S. He was competing for one of five spots.
Soong shot 7 over and in 58th out of 89 places, The New York Post reports. He ultimately finished 16 strokes behind the top 5. The teenager said he is grateful for the learning experience.
“I learned a lot about my game as well. Things I need to improve on and things that are pretty good,” Soong told ABC 7. “Overall, I think I just need to conserve my energy a little bit more.”
The young golfer was attempting to become the youngest person ever to compete at the U.S. Open. The record is currently held by China’s Andy Zhang, who was 14 years and 183 days old when he competed in 2012, CNN reports. Soong’s 14th birthday is not until January 2024, so he could still have an opportunity to break the record.
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