Billy Horschel is putting his game and his surgically-repaired right hip through a rigorous test during a late spring run of events.
The Ponte Vedra Beach resident and past University of Florida All-American is playing for the seventh week in a row this week at the U.S. Open, a streak that began at the ONEFlight Myrtle Beach Classic in May. Mixed in was a U.S. Open sectional qualifier in Springfield, Ohio, which got him into the field this week at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
Horschel has also played 12 of the last 14 weeks after coming up short in an effort to qualify for The Players Championship and said he feels fine and is ready for his first foray into the fescue at Shinnecock.
“Week seven right now and feeling pretty good,” Horschel said on June 17 after finishing his final practice round for the Open. “The hip is a little tired. Coming off major hip surgery about a year ago … everything has been pretty good this year.”
Horschel has made 12 of 18 cuts this season and is 88th on the FedEx Cup points list. He’s No. 135 on the World Golf Rankings after a peak of 11th in 2022, but all in good time for the 39-year-old, who is certainly putting in the work to get his game back to the level of 2014 when he won the FedEx Cup.
In the meantime, Horschel is ready for his 12th U.S. Open start at a course he’s never played in competition.
“This was one of the two or three major courses I wanted to be,” he said. “I absolutely love this golf course. It’s a beautiful golf course. It’s a great challenge, a little bit different of a U.S. Open challenge since the fairways aren’t crazy narrow. But I understand why they aren’t with this wind. I’m really excited to be able to play.”
Billy Horschel’s hip injury was severe
Horschel underwent hip surgery in Colorado in May of 2025 to repair a labrum tear, bone impingement in the hip capsule, and two microfractures. He missed the rest of the season, including three of the four major championships, breaking a streak of 21 consecutive starts in those events.
He said the part of his game he’s struggled with the most during his comeback has been driving the ball. His swing speed was down a bit, and he admitted that he might have been pressing too hard for distance.
“Ego got in the way, and I was trying to hit the ball further, trying to gain that speed back,” he said. “Got some bad habits.”
Horschel missed the cut at The Memorial, but he saw some promising signs. He then went to the U.S. Open qualifier at Springfield, Ohio and shot 68-65, making eight birdies in the second round to avoid a playoff.
Horschel then went to the TPC Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open and tied for 15th, his best finish in an individual tournament since a tie for 13th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (he and Tom Hoge tied for sixth in the Zurich Classic, a team event).
In his last six competitive rounds, the sectional and Canada, Horschel is a cumulative 17 under, posting four rounds in the 60s and two at even par.
“My game’s been really good over the last month or so,” he said. “I’ve played some really good rounds of golf, but I haven’t done a good job of playing a great tournament, four great rounds of golf. I’ve been close. I went to Springfield and was excited to play two good rounds … got me some momentum, something I haven’t had all year and I was able to carry that to Canada and play a good tournament.”
Billy Horschel praises Miles Russell
Horschel said he hasn’t been so focused on his game that he hasn’t noticed the accomplishments of 17-year-old Mile Russell of Jacksonville Beach, who becomes the youngest First Coast native to play in a major championship this week.
Horschel played a round with Russell last January at Glen Kernan. The teams were Horschel and former Gator player Tyson Alexander vs. Russell and PGA Tour player Jackson Suber.
“I think Tyson and I got the better of him that day,” Horschel said. “I played really good. Miles is an exceptional talent. You look at his game and how polished he is, his ability to manage his game and emotions … he’s got a bright future. Obviously, he’s got a long way to go but it’s going to be interesting to see his trajectory over the next couple of years.”
Billy Horschel is elated for Bud Cauley
Horschel also repeated what many PGA Tour pros have said since last Sunday: Bud Cauley’s victory in Canada was a long time coming and couldn’t happen to a better person.
“He’s one of those guys who is well-liked out here,” Horschel said. “You’d be hard-pressed to find someone to say a bad word about Bud. You see the Tour pros, the respect they have and the admiration … how happy they are for a true player winning. It shows you how much the guy is loved out here.”
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Billy Horschel got a confidence boost from U.S. Open qualifier, Canada
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
