When the 117th U.S. Open Golf Championship begins at Erin Hills Golf Course in Hartford, Wisconsin, on Thursday, the Rio GrandeValley will be represented as 2011 Harlingen South graduate Roman Robledo Jr. will be part of the field.
Robledo was one of only four golfers to qualify for the major out of the Dallas sectionals earlier this year. He shot a two-round 129 to earn his spot and is set to tee off at 2:42 p.m. Thursday along with Derek Barron and amateur Mason Anderson.
And while Robledo, who graduated from the University of Houston in 2015, is not yet a member of the PGA Tour and is a 2000-1 underdog to win this weekend’s tournament, the 24-year-old is determined to make the most of this opportunity and is shooting for the stars.
“I’m excited to be playing in this tournament, but I’m approaching it as a way to move up the ladder and not as an event that I won’t ever play in again,” he said. “Golf is a funny game where anything can happen and I just plan on staying in the moment, and if I do that I think anything can happen.”
Robledo, who began playing golf when he was about 4 years old, made his mark as part of the Hawks golf team right off the bat by winning his first of four straight individual district titles as a freshman.
During his senior campaign, Robledo managed to overcome the death of his mother to earn a spot at the UIL state tournament where he faced off against Jordan Spieth, who would later go on to win the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay Golf Course in Washington.
After high school, Robledo went on to have a very successful career at the University of Houston. During his four-year tenure as a Cougar, he had 20 top-10 finishes, 13 top-five finishes and won five tournaments, including the 2013 Conference USA Championship.
Robledo, who now resides in Houston, turned pro after college and is currently part of the MacKenzie Tour (PGA Canada) where he has played in nine career events and is ranked 114th overall.
“Golf is my career now and no matter what happens this week, I’ll continue moving forward,” he said.
