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Rank, 31, earned a spot in the national
championship on Monday, tying for first with Michael Hebert in
regional qualifying at Ansley Golf Club in Roswell, Ga. He
posted a score of 2-under-par 142 over two rounds with fellow
NHL referee Daniel O'Rourke serving as his caddie.
Rank shot two eagles in the first eight holes en route to
winning his place in the U.S. Open, which starts June 14 at
Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
"I'm just really proud of all the hard work and the dedication
and time you put into the game. There will be a lot of really
proud people back in Elmira (Ontario, his hometown)," Rank said.
"I just can't thank people at home enough. My dad passed away a
few years ago, and he'd be really jazzed to be there."
Rank is no stranger to golf. He was the runner-up in the 2012
U.S. Mid-Amateur, and he made the cut in the 2016 RBC Canadian
Open on the PGA Tour while competing as an amateur. Rank also
participated on the Canadian golf team in the 2015 Pan American
Games at Toronto.
In 2011, Rank underwent treatment for testicular cancer.
Rank first refereed an NHL game in 2015 and got a full-time job
in that profession the next year. This season, Rank refereed 73
regular-season games and three playoff games.
"Was next to the best players in the world on the ice," he told
Sportsnet. "Next week I get to play with the best golfers in the
world. It's a pretty cool life I'm living right now."
--Field Level Media
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