BROCKTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A Brockton firefighter birdied the final hole of the U.S. Open Friday to finish at 7 over, one shot clear of the cut.
The big putt means Matt Parziale, 31, who qualified for the Masters earlier this year, will be back on the course at Shinnecock Hills in Long Island Saturday.
In between calls Friday, firefighters at Ladder 1 in Brockton were glued to the TV screen, cheering on their colleague as he follows his dream.
“He played so well, the conditions were very difficult for him,” Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli said. “I think it’s exciting, guys are excited, everyone wants to see him do well.”
Parziale turned pro shortly after college but after a few years of traveling returned home to be a firefighter like his father.
“He has a very strong work ethic, his father was a captain here for many years and I think he follows in the way his father carried himself,” Nardelli said. “He’s humbled to be here, he’s humbled to be on the golf course.”
Regardless of how he does today, Nardeli said Parziale has already made Brockton proud and his fire gear will be waiting for him when he returns.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)