Forrester’s faith pays off with berth in golf’s U.S. Senior Open

Drew Forrester has faith – in his Catholic lifestyle and golf game.

After eight attempts, Forrester qualified for the U.S. Senior Open in Omaha, July 8-11. He is one of 24 amateurs who made the cut for the esteemed event, whose past champions include the likes of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

It’s one more highlight in the life of an entrepreneur who is the golf coach at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson; directs outreach at his home parish, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Baynesville; and helped transport approximately 1,000 people from the Archdiocese of Baltimore to Philadelphia to see Pope Francis in 2015.

“My first year of eligibility was 2013, when I turned 50,” Forrester said, of reaching the U.S. Senior Open, the pinnacle of golf for a man his age.  “I was unable to play that year due to a knee injury. Five years ago in Philadelphia, I missed it by one shot. I have been two or three shots out a couple of other times.”

The field for the event in Nebraska includes 156 players. Eighty-two players from the Champions Tour were exempt, leaving 74 spots available through qualifying. From late May through June 14, 34 qualifying events were held around the U.S., each with a few spots available, based primarily on the size of their fields.

Forrester went to Argyle Country Club in Silver Spring, where 88 men competed for three spots. He shot a 69, putting him in a three-way playoff for the third and final berth. Forrester clinched it with a birdie on the fourth playoff hole.

“I got off to a great start,” he said. “I parred the first three holes and then birdied No. 4. I made my only bad swing of the day on the tee at the sixth hole and made a double bogey, but I came right back with a birdie at No. 7 and that really calmed me down. 

“If there was one key to the day, it’s that I just stayed patient and tried to hit good shots on every hole and didn’t really get ahead of myself or let my mind wander,” he said.

“I didn’t have a caddie that day and I carried my own bag, so it was just me, by myself, playing golf. It gave me a comforting feeling for some reason.” 

That serenity includes a faith that was late developing, as Forrester did not have a formal Catholic education or parish as a child. 

“My wife, Joanne, and I joined Immaculate Heart of Mary in 2006 and have been there ever since,” Forrester said. “My two children have been IHM students since pre K.”

Ethan is a rising ninth-grader at Calvert Hall; Lucy is entering the sixth grade.

When the coronavirus shut down the Calvert Hall Cardinals’ 2020 golf season, Forrester and assistant coach Brian Hubbard made use of their downtime to raise more than $5,000 in donations and contributions from a half-dozen restaurants and delivered an assortment of breakfast, lunch and dinner options to hospital workers.

“We talk about setting an example for our players,” he told the Review then. 

Now Forrester is the outreach director for Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, which distributes food and personal necessities to its neighbors in the 21234 and 21286 ZIP codes. In that role, he supervises the eight to 10 volunteers who staff its pantry three days a week. 

His logistical skills were put to good use in 2015, when Forrester organized the buses that took Baltimoreans to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia, in partnership with the archdiocese and Catholic Review Media.

While Forrester came to church late in life, athletics were another matter. His first love was ice hockey, and he played soccer for Glen Burnie High School. Forrester’s willingness to take on any task helped him become general manager of the Baltimore Blast and Spirit, national powers in assorted indoor pro leagues. 

The most difficult part of his golf journey behind him, Forrester said he can now settle down, relax and play his best. He will not be under the microscope, as the field includes high-profile players such as Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer and Steve Stricker, the champion in 2019, the last time the tournament was held, because of COVID-19.

“I fully expect that I’m going to play well,” Forrester said. “I realize the household names are what everyone will focus on, so I’m just going to try and stay under the radar, practice hard and play good golf. 

“I have a caddie who is a lifelong friend from Baltimore (Serge Hogg) coming out with me and I think he’s going to be a big help. He knows my game. He knows me.

“He’ll know when to kick my butt and when to pat me on the back. I’m really excited to get out there and see the course and practice and prepare to play,” Forrester said.

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