Trio of ex-MLB stars competing at U.S. Open qualifying
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You’ve heard of two-sport stars before. You’ve even heard of two-sport stars in MLB, featuring names like Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson over the years. Now, a trio of former big-league stars are vying to add to that hallowed hall of supremely athletic humans.
Aaron Hicks, Tyler Clippard and Shigetoshi Hasegawa are all competing in the qualifying process for this summer’s U.S. Open on the PGA Tour. They’ll each compete in an 18-hole local qualifying round, and should they advance, they’d compete in a 36-hole final qualifying for a spot in one of golf’s biggest tournaments.
Hicks, 36, last played in the Majors in 2024 with the Angels to wrap up a 12-year career that saw him play for the Twins, Yankees, Orioles and Angels. Though never an All-Star, Hicks had back-to-back years of 3.9 and 4.3 Baseball-Reference WAR in 2017 and 2018, even receiving a down-ballot MVP vote in 2018. He’ll attempt to qualify on May 11 in Phoenix, Ariz., at Papago Golf Course.
Hicks has some serious familial ties to professional golf. His wife, Cheyenne Woods, has competed in five U.S. Women’s Opens and is the niece of Tiger Woods. He also already boasts some hardware on the links, winning MLB's inaugural Capital One MLB Open in November alongside the Twins' Royce Lewis.
Clippard, 41, was a two-time All-Star with the Nationals out of the bullpen. He also pitched for the Yankees, Athletics, Mets, Diamondbacks, White Sox, Astros, Blue Jays, Guardians and Twins throughout his 16-year career, which ended in 2022. The righty posted 15.9 bWAR in his career on a 3.16 ERA.
Clippard begins the quest for his U.S. Open chance on May 4 in Tampa, Fla., at Avila Country Club.
Hasegawa, 57, was an All-Star reliever with the Mariners in 2003, putting up a 1.48 ERA and 16 saves across 63 appearances. He played nine total seasons in MLB, five with the Angels and four with Seattle. Hasegawa will compete in his local qualifier on May 4 in Los Angeles, Calif., at Brentwood Country Club.
There are several other names from professional sports backgrounds competing in local qualifiers, too, such as former NFL quarterback Tony Romo, former tennis star Mardy Fish or current New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller.