Uber driver Berry Henson logged plenty of miles in US Open journey

LOS ANGELES — How did Berry Henson get here?

By Uber.

Well, kind of.

Though he does hold a sterling 4.99 rating as an Uber driver who’s logged some 3,000 miles shuttling passengers back and forth, Henson is pretty good at golf, too.

The 43-year-old native of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is perhaps the unlikeliest of all the qualifiers who grinded their way into this week’s U.S. Open field at Los Angeles Country Club.

He’s not a young up-and-comer from the Korn Ferry Tour. He’s not a past PGA Tour player trying to relive some glory, find one last spark. He’s not a hot-shot college player trying to gain some early experience for a future as a professional.

Henson is a part-time Uber driver, but he’s a full-time dreamer who refuses to let his dreams die.

That’s why he’s here this week, poised to strike the first shot of the tournament from the 10th tee on Thursday with his 6:45 a.m. (PDT) tee time.

“My goal this week,’’ Henson said, “is to stay humble.’’

That might be the easiest thing to accomplish this week for Henson based on where he’s been on his long-and-winding golf career, which is to say everywhere.

When Henson was asked this week to describe his journey in golf and where it’s taken him, he said, “We might be here all day.”

When he was asked how many tours he’s played on, he paused and said, “I’d probably have to name them off.’’

“Go ahead,’’ he was asked by a reporter.

“I’ve played Golden State Tour; I’ve played Pepsi Tour; I played eGolf Tour; I played Hooters Tour; Canadian Tour; I played National Pro Tour; I played European Tour; Challenge Tour; Asian Tour; Japan Tour; Korean Tour; Sunshine Tour,’’ he said. “I think the only Tour I haven’t played is the Latin America Tour if I can think off the top of my head right now.’’

Then he added, “Yeah, that’s I guess the definition of a journeyman.’’

The next morning, Henson, who in college at San Diego State was nicknamed “The Hensonator’’ for his fun personality, tweeted, “I remembered a few more last night. Was supposed to be in Thailand this week playing a Trust Golf mixed event.”

This is Henson’s first U.S. Open and first major championship. He said he’d tried and failed about 15 times to get into a U.S. Open before he broke through last Monday at the sectional qualifying tournament at Canoe Brook in Summit, N.J.

“I strategically picked New Jersey this year,’’ he said. “I’ve always liked the golf in that part of the world. I’m glad I picked the right spot because I felt super comfortable at Canoe Brook. The members were amazing. I think I’m going to have some pretty decent fans from the New Jersey site this year.’’

Because of his backstory that includes all those tour stops around the world and nearly having to quit when he was down to his last dollars, Henson will have a lot of fans everywhere rooting for him this week — particularly if he plays well.

Last month at the PGA Championship in Rochester, we had Michael Block, the everyman club pro from California who captured the imagination of the golf world with his magical week that ended in a tie for 15th and a final-round hole-in-one while paired with Rory McIlroy.

Maybe, just maybe, Henson is this week’s Michael Block.

Hey, the 444th-ranked player in the world can dream, can’t he?

“I’m a grinder,’’ Henson said. “I’ve been doing this for 20-something years. I feel like I have that type of mentality. I make a lot of pars. I can get up-and-down from the trash can. I don’t get down on myself and just enjoy what the course gives me.’’

Henson has tried to secure a PGA Tour card through Qualifying School seven times and failed all seven. In 2011, at age 31, his sponsors had run dry and he was nearly out of money to continue. He had $5,000 in the bank and went to Thailand for the Asian Tour’s qualifying school.

“I’m like, ‘Well, we’ve got to get a card somewhere,’ ’’ Henson recalled. “It was sink or swim.”

He swam.

Since he got to LACC, Henson has been living the life and sharing it with his 1,620 Twitter followers, posting a picture of himself arriving at LACC with his arms raised triumphantly, one of him arriving at his personalized locker and one of him getting a haircut from the official U.S. Open barber inside the locker room.

Oh yes, he played a couple of practice rounds with Phil Mickelson.

It’s difficult to imagine the week getting any better for him. Yet if Henson’s performance on the golf course is commensurate with his 4.99 Uber rating, it could be a hell of a week.

“I feel like, yeah, I’m kind of starting my journey,’’ Henson said. “It sounds weird, 43, starting your journey, but I’ve never given up. That’s the road I’m on right now, and it just happened a little bit later, and we’re just going to keep going until I can’t go anymore.”