It isn’t rare, but it doesn’t happen a lot.

Not many local qualifying alternates ever get the call asking if they want to play in a USGA national championship.

Defending Spartanburg County senior champion Max Fain got one of those calls while he was on a golf trip to Scotland.

“We were scheduled to play the old course at St. Andrews when the USGA called the first time,” said Fain, “I didn’t get the call because my phone was dead from taking so many pictures,” he joked.

When Fain got back to his hotel, after shooting what he called “a pretty good round except for the finish,'” on the old course he got his phone charged up and found out he qualified to play in the Senior Amateur,

The time difference made getting back in touch with the USGA difficult.

“I got some help from Kyle Maloney (SCGA Director of Competition) and while I was talking to Kyle the USGA called back,,” said Fain.

SCGA Senior champion Yancey Johnson won the qualifier at Green Valley near Travelers Rest. Rick Cloninger from Rock Hill also earned a trip to the USGA Senior.

The last spot came down to a playoff between Fain and Country Club of Spartanburg golfer Tim Dunlavey. The former Virginia college golfer birdie the second playoff hole to earn the last spot, leaving Fain as the first alternate.

“I thought it was over and I wouldn’t get a chance to play,” he said. “My friend Todd Whitehead told me I still had a chance. He thought because it was a senior tournament and some of the oldest qualifiers could have some health issues and withdraw. I wasn’t wishing for that, but it did make sense,” Fain said.

This will be the second time Fain will play the Honors Course near Chattanooga in an USGA event.

He played in the 1991 US Amateur at the course. Fain is one of a half dozen players to play in the 1991 Am and now the 2024 Senior Am.

“I played there a few times over the years, but it has been a long time since the last time. I’ve got a couple of practice founds scheduled. I’m so exited because being an alternate and making the field for a national championship just doesn’t happen,” he said.

But it did for Max Fain this year.

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