Naples' Noah Kent gets another shot to compete against golf's best at 2025 U.S. Open
It's been an unforgettable three months for Naples amateur golfer Noah Kent, a span that's seen him play in three PGA Tour events, including the Masters.
The 20-year-old has gained invaluable experience about the physical and mental tools necessary to play professional golf, a career path he's eager to pursue.
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His next step in that journey starts at the 2025 U.S. Open Golf Championship, which tees off June 12 at the notoriously challenging Oakmont Country Club just outside of Pittsburgh.
Noah Kent plays from the bunker on the second green during a practice round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
"The goal is the same, just taking in everything that I can learn," said Kent of his approach to his U.S. Open opportunity. "But I think this time it's also about competing."
That's something the University of Florida junior hasn't been able to do at his three previous pro tournament starts, missing the cut by a combined average of more than nine strokes. Rough opening rounds have been the primary culprit, including at Kent's last event, The CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May, where a quadruple-bogey on his third hole torpedoed his chances at qualifying for the weekend.
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"Looking back on it, if I can not make that one big number, I think it's a different outcome," Kent said. "But that's just golf. It's about managing yourself and managing your expectations and not making every shot life or death in the first round."
Kent will have a sage and familiar face in his corner at the U.S. Open with Dudley Hart, UF's assistant golf coach, and a two-time PGA Tour winner, serving as his caddie.
"He knows my game really well and he knows what it takes to compete at the highest level," Kent said of Hart. "We'll take our chances where we need to take our chances and just make pars."
The US Open will likely be the final PGA event Kent plays in this year before hitting the Elite Amateur Series. He'll be at the Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island the day after the U.S. Open concludes.
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No matter how Kent fares at the Open, he said the experience of competing against the greats of professional golf has been amazing. The highlight of course was his time at Augusta, where he played a practice round with eventual 2025 Masters champion Rory McIlroy and competed in a group with World Golf Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer.
Apr 8, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Noah Kent and Rory McIlroy walk the no. 12 fairway during a practice round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
"That was probably the coolest thing ever," Kent said of his Masters start. "I always believed that I was going to play in it one day but to do it as a 20-year-old and check that box off is pretty special.
"Being able to do something I want to do for a living a little bit earlier, while I'm still in college, is something I'm very grateful and thankful for. Hopefully, I can use these experiences to lead to a better outcome at Oakmont."
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: U.S. Open 2025: Naples native, UF golfer Noah Kent set for Oakmont
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