East Liverpool High School graduate Alex Tambellini (right) talks to U.S. Open golfer Riley Lewis during a practice round on Wednesday at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.

OAKMONT, Pa. — East Liverpool High School graduate Alex Tambellini usually watches the U.S. Open on TV. This week he’ll be on the course.

Tambellini is caddying for Riley Lewis, a former Loyola of Marymount University standout who made it through qualifying.

The 125th U.S. Open will be held today through Sunday at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh. Tambellini wouldn’t mind getting some TV time.

“Hopefully, that means we’re doing good,” he said.

Tambellini, a 2018 graduate of East Liverpool High School, was a caddie at Oakmont from 2021-23, so he knows his way around the course.

“You have to embrace the challenge of the toughest test of golf,” he said. “It has tight fairways, unforgiving rough and fast greens. You don’t have to be perfect here, but you have to respect it and understand no one is going to be perfect.”

Lewis is in a group with Philip Barbaree Jr. and Brady Calkins that will tee off for the first round at 8:57 a.m. today.

“Especially in the U.S. Open, you are more of a mental coach than a guider,” he said. “Having the wrong club with the right attitude is better than the right club with the wrong attitude.”

Tambellini lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, and is a caddie at Jupiter Hills.

He caddied for Lewis’ brother, Trevor, at the Western Amateur Championship in Chicago, so that is how he got connected with Riley.

Riley Lewis, 23, is making his second career start on the PGA Tour after tying for 76th place at the Mexico Open in February.

“All of these guys are really good,” Tambellini said. “You have to do your best and when you miss, know where to miss.”

Tambellini spent Tuesday night at his mother Mimi’s home in East Liverpool. He said his room is “pretty much” the same as when he lived there.

“She’s excited about coming here on Friday and we’re going to do the best we can do,” he said.

He said he is focused this week on doing a good job for Lewis.

“This week I’m just working,” he said. “The biggest names in golf are here and I’ll be looking to see how they attack the course.”

The last two times Oakmont hosted a U.S. Open the cut was 6-over in 2016 and 10-over in 2007.

“It’s one of the toughest courses these guys will play,” Tambellini said. “I’m excited for the challenge and what it brings.”

Open notes

¯ At East Liverpool High School, Tambellini was a state qualifier in tennis, the Buckeye 8 medalist in golf and also played basketball.

¯ His girlfriend, Eliska Masarikova from the Czech Republic, followed him around the course Wednesday. They met as students at Youngstown State University, where she was the Penguins’ No. 1 tennis player. Now she gives tennis lessons.

“She was a two-time Horizon League first-teamer, so she’s got me,” Tambellini said.

¯ Tambellini got caught in the notorious Oakmont traffic during U.S. Open week. He said it took him three hours to get to the course from East Liverpool on Wednesday morning. Message boards along Hulton Road warn drivers to expect heavy traffic and to “minimize trips.”

¯ Tambellini said he has played Oakmont about 15 times and his best score was “3 or 4 over.”

¯ How did he get to be a caddie at Oakmont? “I called,” he said. “I kept calling and calling until someone picked up.”

¯ He doesn’t know what he’ll be paid this week. “We haven’t talked about that yet,” Tambellini said.

¯ Concession stand prices at the course include $11.95 for a cheeseburger, $7.95 for a hot dog, $3.49 for a cookie, $1.95 for a banana and $5.95 for a bottle of Gatorade.