Harris English, inside the top 5 at 2023 U.S. Open, ‘out of the weeds from’ injury

LOS ANGELES – Harris English is no stranger to success at the U.S. Open. 

In 2020 at the pandemic-delayed Winged Foot championship, he finished fourth and a year later he went one better at Torrey Pines for a third-place showing.

Despite that success, and a solid spring on the PGA Tour that included a runner-up showing at Bay Hill and a tie for third at Quail Hollow Club, rounds of 67-66 were still a jolt of encouragement following hip surgery in 2022 and a lengthy recovery process.

Full-field scores from U.S. Open

“It was a learning curve for both of us and took a little longer than we thought but the confidence has definitely returned,” English’s swing coach Justin Parsons said.

Parsons explained that English had been trending in the right direction and his comfort level at Los Angeles Country Club and U.S. Open-style golf was evident Friday when he scorched his second nine with five birdies and no bogeys.

“I’ve played good at some good hard golf courses this year. Bay Hill and Quail Hollow are some of the toughest tests on the PGA Tour and those are my best finishes this year. And played good at Riviera out here in February,” English said.

English had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip in early ’22 and returned to the Tour in June at the Memorial but failed to post a top-10 finish the rest of the year. This year has been a different story and his play through two rounds on the North Course is proof that he’s finally “out of the weeds from the injury,” Parsons said.