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"Why not me?" - Lexington golf pro is preparing for the U.S. Senior Open

Steve Larick will be competing at the U.S. Senior Open in South Bend, Indiana

For the second straight year, the head pro at Golden Hills Golf and Country Club will be competing in the U.S. Senior Open.

The Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana is the site of this major tournament which will run from June 27-30.

Larick made the tournament by winning a recent qualifying tournament in Hilton Head. 

The 54-year-old Larick says his game is actually in better shape in 2019 than it was in 2009.

"My swing repeats itself a lot better," Larick said.

"I'm a better ball-striker than I used to be. About five years ago, I found a pre-shot routine and I haven't changed it. You know, when you're on tour, you're always thinking 'What can I do to get better? What can I do to get better?' I found my golf swing that's not going to get any better. I just have to keep doing the same thing that I've been doing over, over and over and it gets better that way."

The 2018 U.S. Senior Open in Colorado was Larick's first major at that level. His normally solid chipping and putting let him down and as a result, he missed the cut. But this year, his expectations go beyond simply playing the weekend.

"I've had members out here that have come and talked to me and asked that question, 'Well, man, you've got to make the cut'," Larick said.

"I said the easiest way to make the cut is to try to win.So you go out there with that attitude that I'm going to try to win. Now, if Friday afternoon it looks like I'm one shot above the cut line, well, yeah, then you change kind of on the fly that 'All right. I've got to not make a mistake. I've got to make sure I hit the proper shot so I can make the cut'. Then who knows what happens on the weekend."

Larick says that mindset of not playing unless winning is the goal is what golfers like Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour and the top golfers on the Champions Tour have that allows them to excel on the biggest stages.

"Look, what (Ken) Tanigawa did a couple of weeks ago," Larick said.

"Here's a guy who was an amateur his whole life and Boom! He wins the Senior PGA Championship. So, it can happen. Well, why not me?"

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