Factory worker John Singleton enjoying his time playing the British Open

The top players in the world will likely dominate the coverage and leaderboard in the British Open, but the nature of the event is that it’s open to anyone able to qualify. In some cases, that means a pro golfer who isn’t otherwise qualified for the event. In the case of John Singleton it means a local factory worker who is making his way around Hoylake after earning a spot through qualifying.

Singleton may not contend on Sunday. He may not even make it to Sunday, but he still has one of the best stories of anyone in the field. ESPN profiled Singleton before the round, and he told a story of needing to borrow a pair of wedges during his final qualifying round because his were damaged. They also checked in on him at his day job, where he works on the floor at a resin factory.

It would be easy to give Singleton a pass for nerves if he got off to a rocky start playing in a major championship. He didn’t need it. After stepping off to gather himself one more time, Singleton drilled his first shot of the Open right down the middle. He hit it about as well as he could and celebrated with a fist pump, urging the gallery to make some noise.

He wasn’t done yet. Singleton rolled in a lengthy putt to come away with an opening par. That led to more celebration. He may not win, but Singleton is certainly having the most fun of anyone in the field.

Singleton’s exhortations aren’t going unnoticed either, as the crowd following him is one of the largest out of the course. That’s because his bosses decided to close the factory once they heard he had qualified, letting all his co-workers head over to Royal Liverpool and watch him.