Addie Dobson wasn’t sure what to do with her downtime.
She ultimately settled on the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Meadowbrook Country Club in St. Louis rather than the cumbersome four hours of practice on Tuesday, April 28.
What a stupendous decision that turned out to be.
The Jacksonville Routt High School graduate rustled up a spot in this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, California. Dobson will tee off the first round as one of 28 amateurs on Thursday, June 4 at 4:31 p.m. CT.
“It was one of the calmest days I’ve ever been,” Dobson said, “because I almost didn’t even sign up for the qualifier because I was like, ‘What are the odds that I make this? Is this what I want to do?’ It was Tuesday, one of my free off days.
“I didn’t think I’d have a chance and I just didn’t really care, and that’s kind of when I play my best is when I don’t have any expectations and it worked.”
Arduous qualifier
Dobson waded through 36 holes in one day to qualify. Her putter was dialed in and she reeled off eight birdies through the first round. Dobson tried her best to stay in the moment.
“I knew I was going low that first round, but I’m not someone who looks at the leaderboard, so I didn’t know where I was sitting,” Dobson said. “My assistant coach (Francesco Guarneri) right after we finished the first round, he was like, ‘Now people might come up to you and say good round or something. Let’s stay in the present.’ Then immediately some guy was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s so impressive!'”
Dobson and Zoe Cusack each finished 5-under-par 139 to mop up the two qualifying spots for the upcoming major.
“I didn’t know I was qualifying until I made that last putt on (No.) 18,” Dobson said. “I three-putted the hole before and got a little lazy. I kind of wish I should have asked, but it worked out.”
California dream
Everything has almost been a blur since then.
Dobson helped vault the University of Missouri women’s golf team to its second ever NCAA Championship appearance, where it recorded its best finish in 12th place. Dobson placed 46th individually at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa near San Diego, California.
She made her first trip to California just the week prior in the NCAA Stanford Regional. Suddenly the count is three.
Dobson anticipates plenty of family to tag along this time.
“I don’t even know how to describe it, it’s been so fast,” Dobson said. “The other seniors with me (at Omni La Costa) were shedding a lot of tears and I just teared up a little bit on that last hole, but I knew I had the next week, so I couldn’t get too sad because I’ve got so much going on.
“I can’t even think. The last month has been just like a dream going to regionals, nationals and now the U.S. Open … it’s been crazy. It’s been almost magical.”
Meteoric rise over eight years
It’s certainly been a long but exhilarating journey ever since Dobson received her first set of clubs as a Christmas present in eighth grade. Her first full competitive round of golf didn’t come until high school regionals freshman year.
She developed discipline and course management, and just three years later she became The State Journal-Register’s Small School Girls Golfer of the Year before attending Missouri.
“I always tell people I had stopped getting taller and then golf kind of slid in the picture and I was like, ‘OK, this is kind of working,’” Dobson said.
Dobson has lately honed her driver. She has always heralded long distance, but control was problematic.
She took a brief pause over the summer to focus on an internship in Kansas City, and the reset helped forge a better swing.
She flourished over the fall with two top-10 finishes, while Guarneri helped address those gnawing mental obstacles inherent with the game.
“He’s played a huge part in my growth and he was with me a lot on the course this year from fall to spring, just keeping me in the moment,” Dobson said. “He’s someone who’s like, ‘I literally couldn’t care less if you go rope this out of bounds, like who cares? It’s fine.’ That really helped me to just (understand), it’s not that deep. Golf’s not that deep.”
This perspective is a major asset to have for something as big as the U.S. Women’s Open.
“Taking even just the tee shot on (No.) 1, I was like, ‘Oh God,’” Dobson said of her first practice round on Sunday. “It’s a little intimidating on (No.) 1 and then I kind of got in a rhythm and today (Monday) was a lot better. I got to see Nelly Korda this morning, so a little starstruck there but I settled in quick and got in the rhythm.”
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Jacksonville’s Addie Dobson goes from Mizzou to U.S. Women’s Open