The road from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, to the first tee of the Open Championship isn't one many golfers travel.
In 2019, Marcus Plunkett was serving a six-month deployment in Afghanistan as a transportation officer, planning the convoys and logistics that supported combat operations. Golf had become little more than a memory. Despite playing well at West Point, he hadn't touched a club in years, choosing instead to focus on his Army career and the five-year commitment that came with it.
And yet on Thursday, he'll walk to the first tee at Royal Birkdale as a player in the Open Championship.
On Wednesday I spoke with Plunkett from Southport, England, where the 32-year-old is preparing for his first major championship. He arrived last Friday, has already made multiple trips around Royal Birkdale, and has spent the week soaking in every part of an experience that once seemed impossible.
The longest of long shots says he's ready to play well.
Plunkett earned his spot in the 154th Open Championship through final qualifying at Dundonald Links, one of four sites hosting the one-day, 36-hole qualifier. In difficult conditions, he opened with a steady 69 to put himself in contention.
Plunkett had the advantage of playing in the final group during the second round. He normally avoids leaderboards, but when he passed one near the 13th hole, he couldn’t help but look.
He was inside the number by one.
On the 15th, Plunkett's approach landed just a few yards short of perfect. It caught the slope, rolled backward, and disappeared into one of Dundonald's dreaded pot bunkers.
His first attempt to escape never made it over the lip. The ball rolled right back to his feet.
Luckily, his next shot left only a short putt, which he converted for bogey. The mistake cost him a shot, but it also erased any margin for error. Plunkett was now exactly on the number.
Despite the nerves, his short game took over. He got up and down for what he called "really good" pars on each of the next two holes.
Standing on the par-five 18th tee, Plunkett asked his caddie for one final leaderboard update.
"Par gets us in."
After a perfect drive left him 229 yards from a green surrounded by trouble, Plunkett and his caddie never considered going for it. They laid up. A pitching wedge, a sand wedge, and two putts later, Marcus Plunkett had earned a spot in his first Open Championship.
His unlikely journey to Royal Birkdale began long before Dundonald. Plunkett was introduced to golf by his father and grandfather, a World War II veteran. He quickly fell in love with the game and proved he had a talent for it, earning Conference Player of the Year honors in Atlantic Beach, Florida, as a high school senior.
From there, Plunkett chose West Point, following in his grandfather's footsteps of serving his country. Between the demands of one of the nation's toughest academic institutions and Army training, he still managed to play 88 rounds for the Black Knights.
As a senior, Plunkett posted three top-five finishes, five top-10s, and a scoring average just over 72. Despite the success, professional golf never entered his mind. Upon graduation, he had a five-year commitment to the Army, and that was exactly where his focus was.
For nearly the next four years, he barely touched a golf club. Training and deployments took him around the world, including assignments in South Korea and a six-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, Plunkett suddenly found himself with far more free time as strict occupancy limits kept soldiers out of the office. He started playing golf again.
And he wasn't just playing again, he was playing well.
In September 2020, just six months after picking up the game again, Plunkett won the 36-hole club championship at Fort Carson's Cheyenne Shadows Golf Course. His 126 total (62-64) remains the lowest 36-hole score in the club's history.
"It was the first time I'd ever thought about turning pro," Plunkett said following his practice round Tuesday.
In 2021, Plunkett faced a choice. He could sign on for another five-year commitment with the Army or bet on professional golf.
Plunkett had money saved from his military career, had fallen back in love with the game, and had connected with former professional golfer Tommy Biershenk, who remains his instructor today.
He decided he'd rather spend the rest of his life wondering if he could make it than wondering what would have happened if he'd never tried.
Plunkett chose golf.
Since leaving the service, Plunkett has chased that dream full time. In 2024, he recorded 10 top-10 finishes, including a victory on the long-running Dakotas Tour, before earning Korn Ferry Tour status through Q-School.
His rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour, however, was a harsh introduction to professional golf. He made just eight of 20 cuts, finished 134th in points, then failed to advance to Final Stage of Q-School, costing him his status.
This season, Plunkett has split his time between the Asian Tour and its developmental circuit, making six of seven cuts with two top-six finishes.
The road from Jalalabad to Royal Birkdale isn't one many golfers travel. But after four years away from the game, a military career, and one unforgettable day at Dundonald, Marcus Plunkett has somehow found his way to the first tee of the Open Championship.
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