Oakmont pro Devin Gee savors opportunity to play as marker at U.S. Open

There are plenty of perks to being director of golf at Oakmont Country Club.

Playing in the U.S. Open might top the list for Devin Gee.

The Oakmont pro played as a marker alongside Philip Barbaree Jr. during the third round Saturday, getting a loud round of applause as he walked up the 18th fairway in front of the club members area and alongside all the local marshals.

It was one of many special moments for Gee, who highlighted hearing his named called on the first tee by Bob Ford, his predecessor as Oakmont’s club pro.

“Well, Bob, obviously, announcing on the first tee, that’s really cool,” Gee said. “On 14, my daughter (Clara) was in the grandstands with my wife (Katie) and her, like, waving, like a 3 1/2-year old would at her dad, was really cool.”

Gee didn’t keep score but said he shot in the low 80s, battling with the 5-inch rough and greens that measured above 14 on the Stimpmeter.

His expertise around the course certainly came in handy for his playing partner.

“Yeah, he probably knows this course a lot better than I do, so it was nice if he would hit first and see where he would go or what he would do on his putts or whatnot,” said Barbaree, who shot 5-over-par in Round 3 and is 12-over for the tournament.

“Devin is a great guy. He was awesome. I don’t know where I stand, but if I played with him tomorrow, I wouldn’t be mad about it.”

The USGA uses markers at tournaments when there is an uneven number of players who make the cut, leaving a solo golfer in a pairing.

Gee, who also served as a marker for one round during the 2016 U.S. Open, said the USGA reached out to him a few months ago asking him to be prepared to play.

He was at the course early Saturday, hitting the practice range before his 9:12 a.m. tee time.

An employee of the club since 2007, Gee became head professional and director of golf in 2017.

Gee, who expects to play Sunday as well, attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open but fell short after shooting 15-over-par over 36 holes at the final qualifier last month in Dallas, Texas.

Though he wasn’t technically in the U.S. Open field or on a leaderboard, he put on his Oakmont Country Club polo shirt and represented the membership with pride.

“There are full days, and there are days that, you know, you just remember forever,” he said. “But you have to capture it because it’s really easy to forget the little moments that are really cool about these championships.”