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TSN Senior Reporter

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On Friday after missing the cut at the U.S. Open, David Hearn told me he was extremely frustrated to be leaving at the half-way mark.

“I came here expecting to do much better,” he said. “I really feel as if I’m playing pretty well right now.”

Now on the PGA Tour, players will always tell you one of two things: they are playing well, or very close to playing well. That’s about all you get. Case in point: Tiger Woods shot 80 at the U.S. Open and was optimistic.

But with Hearn, there was a sense that he was on the verge of doing something big. And that happened on Sunday at The Greenbrier when he finished second, losing a heartbreaking playoff to Danny Lee.

Hearn took the loss in stride, however, pulling the positives from the situation.

“When you play well and you're in contention at a golf tournament, you pull off golf shots, you know, it just gives you the confidence to know that you're doing the right things,” Hearn said. “I've played a lot of events on the PGA TOUR, and I've only been in contention with a chance to win a handful of times. I've got to get better at it, and I definitely feel like my game is good enough, and it's just a matter of time.”

Hearn had a good chance to win the tournament outright on the 72nd hole, hitting his 12-foot birdie putt just an inch short of its destination. That put him into the playoff that started with Kevin Kisner, Robert Streb and eventual winner Danny Lee. Kisner and Streb fell out after the first hole with Lee and Hearn making birdies, the Canadian dropping a clutch 16-foot putt.

Lee eventually triumphed when Hearn ended up with a bogey that started with a poor drive on the second playoff hole and was compounded by some bad breaks.

“I’m real proud of the way I hit that putt, went right in the middle,” Hearn said of his roll on the first playoff hole. “You know, big confidence boost and a little unlucky on the next hole, but like I say, my game feels so close and it just is very reassuring to me to have a good week like this.”

If there was a consolation prize for Hearn, it came in the form of qualifying for the Open Championship. He’ll join Graham DeLaet in the oldest golf tournament on the planet next week in St. Andrews.

“You know, I've been a pro for a long time, and to get into majors like this doesn't happen as much as you might think,” he said. “For top-tier players it seems to happen a lot, but for guys like myself, sort of plugging along, you know, this is an amazing opportunity for me to get to St. Andrews.”

It’s the second time Hearn has lost in a playoff. Two years ago, he fell to Jordan Spieth at the John Deere.

Still, the more times he puts himself in contention, the better the chances at getting that first win. And just like his words at the U.S. Open, the Brantford, Ont., native knows he’s playing well and now it’s showing on the leaderboard too. Don’t be surprised if Hearn gets that win in the very near future.