Oakmont...South Africa...The Open - Back to the Future for Kelli Shean?

The best story of day one at the US Women's Open has to be South African Kelli Shean.  She finished her opening round at -1 and ended the day just a stroke back of leader Brittany Lang. 

It was difficult not to immediately draw parallels to a different major at Oakmont. Ernie Els did the same thing sixteen years ago on this very course in the male rendition of the national championship.

In 1994, Els shot an opening 69 to trail Tom Watson by a shot at Oakmont in the US Open.  Els thrived then lingered through the other three rounds, working his way into a playoff with Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie.  Tied with Roberts after the 18 hole playoff, Els prevailed on the second playoff hole.

The win was Els' first on the PGA Tour.  It was the first of three major titles in Els' career. That week, Els was crowned the new "next Jack" - a placeholder that Els would carry until 1997.  In the week prior, Curtis Strange - still relevant golfer and not color commentator - said "I think I just played with the next god."

The entire tournament was played in sweltering, record-breaking heat.  Nick Faldo declared that Oakmont as the hardest course he had ever played.

Does any of this sound familiar?  Well, maybe not John Daly's $30 million endorsement deal, but everything else, no?

(Preface alert: this is getting WAY ahead of things, but the parallels are interesting provided that there are so few prominent female South African golfers.)

Shean certainly is not as heralded as Els was.  He finished T7 the Open prior at Baltusrol.  This is her first Open, playing as a junior out of Arkansas.  When Els won his first Open, she was six.  In fact, Shean's mother told her about the Els parallel.

"[W]hen I told [my mom] that I won the qualifiers to get here, she said, 'You do know that Ernie won his first Major at Oakmont, right? ' I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, that's awesome.'"

In a bit of a rather bizarre kawinkidink, Shean met Els as part of his golf foundation when she was - you guessed it - sixteen.

Els didn't have his boyfriend caddying for him sixteen years ago, like Shean does now.  She says, " He's just made me love life so much more."  In addition into a gigantic heart, he's a giant.  He's 6'7". 

Now for the part of the piece where we reprise VH1's I Love the 90s. There wasn't Skype in '94, which she credits for helping her stay in touch with her family at home.  There was no Facebook either. Shean's profile is littered with well wishers and screen grabs from ESPN showing her name atop the leaderboard of the US Women's Open. The World Cup of '94 was held here in the States.  It will end on Sunday in South Africa.

Ok, enough of that.

To further cliche Robert Frost, there are miles to go before Shean could sleep with the US Women's Open trophy.  But, she plays this week knowing that her idol and hero made history here not too long ago, and that perhaps she can channel that magic again.