Bakersfield's Shah is ready to represent at U.S. Open - California News Beep

Manav Shah left California on Friday for New York. Southampton to be more precise. He’s on the trip of a lifetime, getting ready for something he always thought was possible, but always seemed to be just out of reach.

This coming week, Shah is finally where he is supposed to be and doing what he’s about to do. He’s playing a few practice rounds and will then tee off Thursday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, site of the 126th U.S. Open Championship.

The 34-year-old, a 2010 graduate of Centennial High School who has been playing professionally after he played and graduated from UCLA in 2015, is in the 156-player field.

He will play in the same tournament as those who he has been playing with and against dating back to junior golf, CIF high school events and college tournaments. He’s played in the same fields as Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele and UCLA teammates Patrick Cantlay and Jake Knapp to name a few.

“Guys I played with and against are on the PGA Tour now,” Shah said. “Some of the biggest names in golf I played against them so that will be a familiar sight to see. These guys are all playing at such a high level. I’m excited to join them next week.”

The 2026 field will see him play in the same event as defending champion J.J. Spaun, past champions Brooks Koepka, who won the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy. Shah will also be in the same tournament as the world’s No. 1 ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler. Neither has won the U.S. Open, but Scheffler needs a victory here to complete a golf major grand slam.

While Scheffler’s entry in the U.S. Open came by finishing in the top 10 of the 2025 event, Shah earned his spot through two qualifying tournaments. On May 6 he shot a 68 at Santa Cruz’s Pasatiempo Golf Club to advance to the 36-hole final with a score of 138 (66-71) at the Dallas Athletic Club on May 18. His wife, Sonam, was his caddie for the latter tournament.

Congratulatory wishes poured in for Shah’s achievement from friends, family, his Centennial High golf coach Andy Muro, former high school and college teammates, fellow members at his home course, Bakersfield Country Club.

“I got a lot of texts. Some are still unread,” Shah said earlier this week.

Those who’ve not had a reply understand. They know that what he accomplished was soon followed by the start of his preparation for the U.S. Open.

“It was nice to qualify early, take time to unwind and relax,” he said. “Thirty-six holes of golf can take a toll on you mentally and physically.”

But he flew to New York a week ago and played a few rounds “to get more course knowledge than I would if I had just qualified and had to do it this week. There will 156 guys running around and there would not be much room to get things done. I’ll get out on the course (today) and I will be going there with my battery fully charged.”

Being tactical, being prepared and organized for what is truly the biggest stage he’ll be on in his career is something his then Golden Hawks coach knows will be an asset. Much of it is connected to what he has done since he turned pro.

Shah, who has played on the PGA Tour’s Latinoamerica, PGA Canada, the Korn Ferry Tour and has been on the Asian Tour and played in one PGA Tour event, the John Deere Classic two years after turning pro, has enjoyed seeing the world through golf.

“When we’ve talked, I’ll ask him where he is and he’ll say ‘Dubai’. Another time, he’ll say ‘Argentina.’ Then I’ll get a call from him saying ‘I’m in town. Let’s get together to talk,’” Muro said. “He has such a well-travelled golf game. He’s played worldwide. He knows how to plan his agenda, plan his itinerary. It has helped to condition himself with that so he can play even better.”

Shah’s focus and determination are in tip-top shape. The U.S. Open is a tournament that will test everyone’s skillset with fast greens, thick rough and, in the case of Shinnecock Hills, it is a links-styled course.

“I’ve always held the U.S. Open in the highest regard,” Shah said. “One, it is the toughest test of golf out there. Two, It’s truly open. They can’t keep people out. Thousands of people every year sign up to qualify. If you have the game you can play your way in.”

Shah’s had his share of successes at all levels, some of it when just starting out in the sport when his father would take him along to play golf and soon he was being dropped off at the golf course as a kind of “daycare situation,” Shah said.

The young golfer’s earliest development was aided by his participation in both Kern County junior golf and his participation in APGA, the Advocates Professional Golf Association, which provides an inclusive future for golfers. Shah is Indian-American.

“The APGA does a great job of providing a platform for all minorities to grow their game and improve,” Shah said. “It gives them a place to test their skills and to work our way up.”

His confidence and his game grew from the experiences he had and they all weren’t about winning a title or advancing in a tournament.

In high school he reached the CIF Southern California Regional final three times with a state tournament spot at stake. Shah had a three-year sequence in which he shot and improved each time from his sophomore to junior and senior years playing at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta. His scores of 71, 68 and 67 were solid, but he missed a playoff by one stroke as a sophomore and then bogeyed the first playoff hole in his final two years.

Muro recalled those near misses, but especially his senior year, when he thought a 67 would surely be enough to advance. Instead, there was a long drive back to Bakersfield so that Shah would get back in time for his graduation ceremony.

“I had a great experience at Centennial because that’s when I really started to get better and find my groove in this game,” Shah said. He was the 2009 and 2010 Bakersfield Californian’s All-Area Boys Golfer of the Year.

College was a competitive environment but that was good for his game, especially when playing for UCLA. He initially had a one-year stint at the University of San Diego, but he went to the Bruins after San Diego head coach Tim Mickelson left to coach at Arizona State. Shah sat out a year but transferred to UCLA, which was a top-10 team nationally.

He’s had success in professional settings, winning the Bakersfield Open in 2018 and 2021 and capturing the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s 2022 Quito Open in Ecuador.

“Turning pro has been a great ride. I’ve seen most of the world through golf,” he said. “I’ve been able to travel and see different cultures throughout South America, Canada, Asia the last couple of years and all the rest of the U.S. It has opened my eyes to what the rest of the world is like. I’ve been able to take members of my family on the road with me some times. My wife has been with me more of late and it’s great to experience that together through golf.”

His wife’s presence has been a big help in his golf game. She’s been a steady and calming influence with positive reinforcement and supportive efforts to help Shah play more patiently and get his mental game in great shape.

While his physical game is in a great place, the mental aspect of teeing it up at the U.S. Open will play a big role in keeping him even keeled.

“I’ve simplified my game, not made it complicated,” he said. “I’ve honed in on my main strengths — my mind and my attitude. Those allow all of my physical skills to come out.”

The demands of a U.S. Open course will be there for all 156 golfers. Shah will look for his opportunities to do well. He’s the first Bakersfield golfer to play in this particular major championship since Bob Elias Kern County Sports Hall of Famer Jack Ewing, a 12-year PGA Tour professional, did in 1969 and 1975.

Representing Bakersfield in the U.S. Open means plenty to Shah.

“It’s a cool thing to carry this city to the highest level of our sport,” he said. “I think about a lot of great players in this town that came before me and will do so after me. But playing in this national open and coming from a place that’s given me so much and is a big part of who I am, is a true honor. I hope I can represent them well.”

Bakersfield’s Shah is ready to represent at U.S. Open

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