Oklahoma State All-Americans are Coaching Staff’s Ticket to U.S. Open

Three members of the Oklahoma State men’s golf team will play in the U.S. Open this week. Their coaches have one important job.

Oklahoma State Cowboys logo. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma State Cowboys golf team is about to invade the U.S. Open.

Three Cowboys — Preston Stout, Eric Lee and Ethan Fang — will play as amateurs in the event when it starts on Thursday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton N.Y. They are among 19 amateurs playing in golf’s national championship. At least five former Cowboys are playing in the event as professionals.

In many amateur and NCAA events, players carry their own bags. But, at the U.S. Open, every player needs a caddy. Professionals have their own. Amateurs have to find them where they can. Fortunately, these Cowboys have a plan — the OSU coaching staff.

OSU Coaches on the U.S. Open Bags

Familiar faces on the bags of our All-American trio at Shinnecock!

Preston 🤝 @OSUBratton
Ethan 🤝 @Stratton_Nolen
Eric🤝 @OSU_CoachDarr #GoPokes | #golfschool pic.twitter.com/M9iElOpejd

— OSU Cowboy Golf (@OSUCowboyGolf) June 12, 2026

All three OSU golf coaches will work a bag for their players during the U.S. Open. Head coach Alan Bratton will be on the bag for Preston Stout, who qualified for the tournament after he won the medalist honors at the NCAA Championships.

Assistant coach Nolen Stratton will take the bag for Fang, who qualified for the Open last year by winning the Amateur Championship at Royal St George's in Great Britian.

Assistant coach Donnie Darr will handle Eric Lee’s bag. Lee qualified for the U.S. Open last week in local qualifying in Sacramento. Stout handled Lee’s bag for the 36-hole qualifier.

Stout’s profile is growing after winning the Big 12 Championship for the third straight year in May. He’s now one of the few Cowboys to win a national championship as an individual. In May he made his PGA Tour debut as an amateur at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch. This weekend, the John Deere Classic extended him a sponsor’s exemption to play in that event.

After Fang won the Amateur last year, he missed the cut at the Open Championship and at Masters, which was played in April. This is his final event with an exemption based on that championship. At Augusta he was tied for the lowest 36 holes among those amateurs that failed to make the cut.

Lee, a native of Fullerton, Calif., finished in a tie for second after a two-round total of 136 at local qualifying. He was tied with another amateur, Matthew Robles, who plays for Santa Clara.

An amateur hasn’t won the U.S. Open since 1933 when Johnny Goodman won at North Shore Country Club. The low amateur in the U.S. Open usually receives sponsor’s exceptions to PGA Tour and USGA events.