PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Ben Feld has been the head men’s golf coach at his alma mater of Drexel University since 2016. This past summer, he played in the U.S. Amateur Championship in Paramus, New Jersey.
Feld punched his ticket to one of the ultimate events in amateur golf by winning the July 13 qualifying tournament at Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield.
“I felt good about where I was,” said Feld. “My boss over at Drexel, Kerry DiBlasio, was caddying for me that day out at Rolling Green. I knew Kerry was really nervous coming down the stretch, and I didn't want to put too much on his plate.”
Feld described the ultimate moment on the 18th hole of the qualifier, after DiBlasio was “stone-faced coming down the stretch.”
“I really didn't ask until after the final putt dropped on 18, when I was fortunate enough to make a birdie on that hole,” said Feld. “I asked him, ‘Did we do it?’ And he said, ‘Oh yeah.’”
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The chance to play in the U.S. Amateur was special for Feld, and he said it was made even more special because so many people wanted to share in the experience with him.
“My stepdad Chip was leading a group text with 30-some-odd people, that they maxed out,” Feld said.
“They couldn't actually get more people into sending shot-by-shot updates. Current and former players in the chat, friends … the number of people that reached out and were following and supporting was so humbling and overwhelming.”
You can listen to Ben Feld talk about how he fell in love with golf by checking out the latest episode of my podcast, “1-on-1 with Matt Leon,” below.