Ryan Longwell wants to play in next June’s U.S. Open if his off-season golf plan develops to his liking.
The 37-year-old Vikings placekicker has a passion for golf, learning the game at an early age from his father, a club pro. Longwell said his handicap as of last July was “+ 0.4.” Not bad for a guy who didn’t play high school or college golf.
Longwell told Sports Headliners that during the off-season he will work with a PGA instructor, learn how to play tournament golf and track his progress. The approach will be to have a golf plan “versus just try to go and play and get good.”
Longwell, who makes his home in the Orlando area, hopes to play smaller tournaments in Florida during the next football off-season. “Get some tournament experience and then see where we are in May-June ─ (maybe) make a run for qualifying for the Open,” he said.
Longwell failed to qualify for the Open last year but hopes his plan involving the PGA instructor will lead to a different outcome. The U.S. Open will be June 11-17 in San Francisco.
Longwell signed a new four-year contract with the Vikings this year, and plans to be with the team next season. But eventually there will be life without football and golf intrigues him.
“I would love to try it (the PGA Tour),” he said. “I guess the thing I’ve always held on to is I have never been able to play year-round being in Green Bay and Minnesota (as a player). I would like to give it maybe two full years type of thing. See how good I could get. See if my game really improves. I mean it may not, but I think chances are it could. …”
Longwell will start the golf project the first week in January. Although he acknowledges his inexperience with tournament golf, he also knows the pressure he’s mastered as an elite NFL field goal kicker is an asset.
“I do think I have a huge advantage mentally ahead of a majority of people,” he said. “It’s one thing to hit balls on the range and another thing to go play tournament golf ─ and dealing with pressure ─ I certainly understand from this job. …”
A visitor suggested one day he might be on the Champions Tour. “… I gotta do some damage before that if I want a shot on the senior tour,” Longwell said.