Amari Avery didn’t realize she didn’t have her clubs until about two hours before her U.S. Women’s Open tee time.
That’s when Avery sat in her hotel room in disbelief. She had hurriedly moved out of her Airbnb that morning following an attempted break-in around 2 a.m. Friday. When her dad, Andre, and boyfriend, Gavin Aurilia, went back to the rental home to retrieve Avery and Aurilia’s clubs, each packed inside matching USC-issued travel bags, Aurilia grabbed the wrong set before he was dropped off at the airport to fly to PGA Tour Americas Q-School.
“I sat in my hotel at 12:30 like, I guess I am going to pull out from the U.S. Open after a pretty solid round,” said Avery, who had opened in 1-under 71 Thursday at Erin Hills. “I was obviously devastated.”
She was still reeling from what had transpired earlier, too. Avery said her dad, mom and boyfriend all saw the person who was trying to break in outside the front door. It took police about 15 to 20 minutes arrive, and when they did, the person was gone. Initially, Avery was panicked when Andre woke up she and Gavin in their room, thinking he was an intruder.
“It was just a scary time,” Avery said.
After discovering Aurilia’s clubs, and not hers, in her possession, Avery scrambled to make calls – to TaylorMade, to her agent, to friends in the field. Eventually, Avery’s agent got ahold of USC alum Gabi Ruffels, who is also represented by Wasserman and was competing in the morning wave; Ruffels offered her clubs to Avery.
“I was like, ‘Well, how did she play?’ Because I was like, if she’s playing good, no one in their right mind is giving me their clubs,” Avery said. “I probably wouldn’t, either, and I’m a nice person. But unfortunately for her she missed the cut, but it was fortunate for me, and she’s obviously a very class act, great friend of mine, so she lent me the clubs.”
Avery, who tried three different sets on the range Friday afternoon before her round, shot 73 with Ruffels’ sticks – the final two holes of her round had to be competed Saturday morning with the same clubs. USC head coach Justin Silverstein texted Avery on Friday night to inform her that she’d gained nearly two shots on the greens with Ruffels’ putter.
“I felt like Gabi’s clubs were honestly pretty good,” Avery said. “I joked with her last night after I called her, and I said, ‘Obviously, thank you so much for lending me the clubs.’ I was like, ‘I might take your putter.’ Like I love my putter, like everyone knows that. But I don’t know, my college coach said I gained putts yesterday. I was like, maybe I should take her putter and maybe like an iron or two. But no, it was nice to have my clubs back.”
After Aurilia’s mother flew Avery’s clubs back to Milwaukee from Phoenix, Avery backed up her wild round with a 76. She’ll enter Sunday at 4 over, 11 shots back and tied for 41st.
