ARDMORE, Pa — The majority of the 312 players in the field at this week’s U.S. Amateur are using family, teammates and local club caddies to carry their bags at Merion Golf Club and Philadelphia Country Club. But Jeg Coughlin III, finalist a year ago at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, has a more notable looper: former PGA Tour pro Morgan Hoffmann.
Coughlin, a 29-year-old reinstated amateur from Dublin, Ohio, enlisted the services of his former golf buddy shortly before the start of the championship. While it might seem like an unusual choice, Hoffmann is a New Jersey native who has ties to Merion. The 36-year-old competed for the victorious U.S. team when the Walker Cup was held at the famed club in 2009 and he also played here in the 2013 U.S. Open, where he missed the cut.
During a practice round, Coughlin and Hoffmann were mic’d up by the USGA. As they made their way through Merion’s treacherous rough, Hoffmann let it be know that it was worse back in 2013, to the shock of Coughlin.
Oklahoma State teammates Rickie Fowler, Peter Uihlein and Morgan Hoffman celebrate after helping the U.S. win the Walker Cup at Merion in 2009.
David Cannon
Hoffmann looked to be in good spirits as he charted the course, enjoying being inside the ropes. Another light moment game with Coughlin reminded him that he could use a rangefinder to help figure out yardages.
Here’s the full video:
Coughlin bid to make match play at Merion got off to a rocky start on Monday after shooting a four-over 74 at Merion. He plays his second round of stroke-play qualifying on Tuesday afternoon at Philadelphia Country Club.
Jeg Coughlin III watches his tee shot at the fifth hole during the first round of stroke play of the 2026 U.S. Amateur.
Ishika Samant
Hoffmann, who first earned a PGA Tour card in 2013, saw his pro career get side-tracked by muscular dystrophy, which he had been diagnosed with while playing college golf at Oklahoma State. His fight against the illness earned him the PGA Tour Courage Award in 2020. He left the tour shortly after in search of a therapy to treat disease, which had reduced the size and strength of his right pectoral muscle.
Golf Digest profiled Hoffmann and his journey for a cure in early 2022, which included living for several months in Costa Rica. He came back to the U.S. and played in five tour events that summer, making the cut twice. His last PGA Tour start was at the 2024 Shriners Children’s Open.
Once ranked the No. 1 amateur in the world, Hoffmann twice reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur (2008 and 2010). This is Coughlin’s second start in the U.S. Amateur having missed out on match play a year ago at The Olympic Club.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
