SAN DIEGO – Mike Davis showed up, kept up and shut up on Saturday morning.

The U.S. Golf Association CEO, who is ending his 32-year run with the association later this month, caddied for colleague Jason Gore in the third round of the 121st U.S. Open at the Torrey Pines South Course.

“He did awesome,” Gore said. “It was so much fun. When he said like, ‘Hey, if you’re in, I’ll go all 18 with you tomorrow,’ I was over the moon. You don’t get that kind of opportunity. We joked about it like, ‘Hey, what’s the one thing you haven’t done at a U.S. Open, Mike? Check that box.’ ”

With 71 professionals surviving the 36-hole cut, Gore, the winner of seven Korn Ferry Tour tournaments and one PGA Tour title, stepped in to serve as a marker and play in the first pairing with 19-year-old Akshay Bhatia, who shot 2-over 73.

“My whole goal today was to just stay out of Akshay’s way,” Gore said. “I was there for him to make sure his day just kind of flowed nicely. It’s awkward to play by yourself.”

When asked if he beat Gore, Bhatia said, “Barely.”

Gore, who claimed he didn’t have his clubs, said he shot 77, and found a few too many bunkers.

“His raking skills are phenomenal, by the way, he’s got a lot of practice,” Gore said of Davis.

“It was a cool experience,” Bhatia said after the round. “I grew up in Valencia, [California] where Jason grew up, and I always used to see him at this crappy golf course that I practiced at and just admiring (him) because everyone knew him as a guy on the PGA Tour, and it’s like, wow, that’s really cool. Then I don’t even know, 10, 20, 15 years later, I’m playing with him in my first U.S. Open.”

Gore is no stranger to U.S. Open competition and playing on the weekend. At the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Gore played in the final group on Sunday with Retief Goosen. Dubbed the Prince of Pinehurst for his jovial nature, Gore shot 84 and finish tied for 49th. He missed the cut at Torrey Pines in 2008.

Gore, 47, attempted to qualify for this year’s U.S. Open, playing at the Dallas final qualifying site on May 24.

“I miss competition,” he told Global Golf Post that day. “But I don’t miss stinking.”

Gore hung up his spikes in 2019 and joined the USGA as its first-ever USGA player relations director. He gained a big vote of confidence from none other than Phil Mickelson, who said on Friday, “I think Jason Gore is the greatest asset the USGA has. I think he’s done a lot of really good things. I saw it last week or two at Olympic Club. I really like him, and I think he does a great job.”

Davis, 56, said the last time he caddied had to be as a teenager at Chambersburg (Pa.) Country Club. He has worked for the USGA for 32 years, beginning with overseeing ticket sales and transportation, became the association’s seventh executive director in 2011 and the USGA’s first CEO in 2016. He has served many roles at the U.S. Open, including for many years being responsible for the course setup, but this will be his first time as a caddie. He announced last year plans for his next venture: joining Tom Fazio II in a new golf architecture firm called Fazio & Davis Golf Design.

Mike Whan, the former LPGA Commissioner, was announced earlier this year as Davis’s replacement.

When Gore was asked to describe how different it was being a marker compared to playing as a competitor, he said, “There was no repercussions. I wasn’t trying to make a cut or make a 10-footer for bogey knowing that it’s such a huge putt.”

Gore said he raked in a few gimmes to get out of Bhatia’s way – an obvious tournament no-no – saying he “just walked up and hit it and scooped it, I’m out of here.”

“I’m so grateful we got to spend the time together,” added Gore of having Davis on his bag. “I kept looking there early, and there was a bunch of people taking pictures, and I go, ‘I hope this isn’t your legacy, man.’ ”