Column: Virgen’s View: Hagestad continues storybook run at U.S. Open with no desire to turn pro

Stewart Hagestad has had quite the run.

Within a span of nine months, the Newport Beach resident has qualified for two majors – the Masters and the U.S. Open – and won the Silver Cup for being the low amateur at the Masters.

Despite the electrifying play, including a storybook scenario of qualifying for the U.S. Open at his home course Big Canyon Country Club, Hagestad has no desire to turn pro.

The 26-year-old, who begins play in the U.S. Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin Thursday morning, wants to resume his career path as a financial analyst.

“As soon as the [U.S. Mid Amateur in October] is over I’m going to put away the clubs for a while and go be a normal 26-year-old,” Hagestad said after he qualified for the U.S. Open at the Sectional Qualifying at Big Canyon, where he finished third on June 5.

Hagestad, a USC graduate, has never really been normal. He did his best to experience the college life when he played for the Trojans golf team. At USC, Hagestad pledged Sigma Chi and his golf teammates playfully teased him by calling him, “Van Wilder.” He was also the only Trojan golfer to be in the USC Marshall School of Business.

For the next four months, he plans to dedicate his life to golf. Then he wants to be “normal.”

“I just think there’s a lot more to life than just playing golf,” he said.

Hagestad is on a leave of absence from Oaktree Residential and Management, a real estate finance firm based in New York. He said he is planning to pursue his MBA, hopefully at either Stanford or USC.

“He knows what’s best for him,” said Hagestad’s father, John. “I think he’s doing the right thing. I’m very comfortable about what he’s doing.”

Hagestad’s mother, Mary Anderson, also supported her son’s decision to remain on his career path rather than turn pro. She was also there at Big Canyon on June 5 to watch her son qualify for the U.S. Open.

Hagestad called it, “a dream come true,” to qualify for the U.S. Open at his home course where he had recently won the men’s championship.

John Hagestad said the support for his son has been, “tremendous.”

“Big Canyon has been such a wonderful place for Stewart,” Anderson said. “The membership here has been so supportive. He’s had so many mentors his whole life. It’s just so fun to see everyone come out and support him. What a wonderful place for this to happen.”

Stewart Hagestad said he did his best to put the blinders on during his final round at Big Canyon on June 5, but he did notice the large gallery, made up of many Big Canyon members, following him. He said it was a special day.

Now he hopes to have a special tournament at the U.S. Open. He expressed great gratitude for having the opportunity to compete in a major for the second time.

Had he not qualified for the U.S. Open he most likely would have played in the British Amateur. He’s scheduled to play in the U.S. Amateur Aug. 14-20 at Riviera.

The Walker Cup is set to take place Sept. 9-10 at Los Angeles Country Club.

Stewart Hagestad will try to defend his title at the U.S. Mid Amateur Oct. 7-12 at Capital City Club in Atlanta, Ga. before then apparently putting his clubs away to be a normal 26-year-old.

steven.virgen@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveVirgen