Knaresborough's US Open star John Parry will keep doing things his own way as he bids to continue career renaissance
John Parry admitted to having to “pinch myself” during his US Open exploits, but insists that he is going to continue doing things his way as he bids to continue his golfing renaissance.
The Knaresborough ace has matured like a fine wine and his game is seemingly getting better and better as he progresses through his late thirties, with that impressive showing at Shinnecock earning him a career-best 11th-placed finish in a major.
Just three years ago, the Harrogate GC life member found himself playing one-day circuits in the north of England and bouncing between Europe’s second and third-tier tours.
But, almost a decade-and-a-half after his maiden win on the Challenge Tour – at Toulouse in 2009 – a hat-trick of tournament victories at the same level saw Parry regain his place on the DP World Tour in 2024.
He then won the Mauritius Open in December of that year, finished 16th at last year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush and has excelled during his rookie season in the USA.
So, with things finally clicking into place after he had to do things the hard way, Parry says he will continue to embrace “my style of golf.”
“Sometimes you’ve got to pinch yourself,” he said. “Even out there at the US Open when it’s tough, you think, ‘Blimey, I’m playing the US Open at Shinnecock’. It’s not half bad.
“So, to play well and put in a good performance, I’m really happy. To know that I can compete at this level and put in a good performance is very pleasing.
“I’ve got fatter, greyer [since his last US Open appearance in 2015] but I think I’ve learnt. I’ve learnt that this is the way I play – a certain way. And this is the way I’m gonna play.
“I’m not gonna try and copy Rory McIlroy, because that’s never gonna happen for me. So I’ll try to stick to my style of golf and see where it takes me.”
On his first appearance at the US Open in more than a decade, rounds of 71, 71, 71 and 69 saw Parry finish on a two-over-par total.
That overall score left him just six shots behind tournament champion Wyndham Clark and alongside the likes of Xander Schauffele and Tommy Fleetwood.
In addition, that 11th-placed finish earned the Yorkshireman more than $400,000 in prize money – comfortably the biggest payday of his career.