Chase Kyes had been grinding through what is known in the golf world as the longest day of the year. He arrived at Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Ball Ground, Georgia, before sunrise. He would not leave until well after dark.
By the time the Spain Park High School graduate birdied the 36th hole to secure one of five qualifying spots for the 2026 U.S. Open, the weight of a 14-hour day fell off his shoulders in an instant.
“It was just, I don’t know how to describe it,” Kyes said. “It was like all the weight was just gone.”…