Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach is first alternate from Duke University qualifier
See Jack Nicklaus explain his process for naming Muirfield Village
Jack Nicklaus explains his reasoning for naming Muirfield Village Golf Club during a press conference prior to the Memorial Tournament on May 27.
- Final qualifying rounds for the U.S. Open concluded, filling the remaining 47 spots at Oakmont Country Club.
- Qualifying tournaments spanned various locations, including Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington.
Golf’s Longest Day isn’t quite finished yet.
Nine 36-hole U.S. Open sectional qualifiers were held on June 2 from Florida to New Jersey, and from Maryland to Washington, to fill the final 47 spots in the U.S. Open June 12-15 at the Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. Of the 744 players began the day with hopes of making the field, only six percent would make it.
And it’s not over at qualifiers in West Palm Beach and Valencia, Calif.
At the Emerald Dunes Golf Club, storms suspended play at 6:10 p.m. and 50-year-old Justin Hicks of Wellington was in the lead by one shot at 10-under par. He posted a 65 in the first round and was 3-under through seven holes in the second round.
Hicks has played in three PGA tour events this season and missed the cut in all three.
Frankie Harris of Boca Raton, a junior at South Carolina, is second at 9-under. He shot 66 in the first round and was 3-under through five holes in the second.
Tied for third at 7-under are University of Florida sophomore Luke Poulter and 17-year-old Blades Brown, to turned pro earlier this year.
Poulter shot 69 in the first round but started out hot in the second round by going eagle-birdie-birdie on his first three holes before play was suspended. Brown, who tied Hicks for the best first-round score, was even through nine holes in the second round.
The qualifier is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. on June 3, with four qualifying spots up for grabs. Ten players will begin the round within two shots of Poulter and Brown for the final spot.
In the Valencia, Calif., qualifier, the only issue is the first alternate. Amateur Preston Summerhays is the medalist at 132, with a second-round 63, topping Riley Lewis by three shots. Another amateur, Zachery Pollo, is third at 136. Lucas Carper and Joey Herrera (138) will play off for first alternate on June 3.
U.S. Open Sectional qualifiers
Piedmont Driving Club, Atlanta
Mason Howell, 17 and the eighth-ranked player on the American Junior Golf Association, and Big Ten Player of the Year Jackson Buchanan shot lights-out at 18-under 126 to tie for first. Auburn senior Jackson Koivun, who made his PGA Tour debut at The Memorial last week, Florida State sophomore Tyler Weaver, and former University of Georgia player Will Chandler tied for third at 11-under.
Qualifiers
Mason Howell (a) 63-63—126
Jackson Buchanan 63-63—126
Tyler Weaver (a) 66-66—133
Jackson Koivun (a) 69-64—133
Will Chandler 70-63—133
Alternates
Hayden Buckley 68-66—134
Steven Fisk 66-68—134
Canoe Brook Country Club, Summit, N.J.
Korn Ferry Tour member James Nicholas, a Yale graduate, won by one shot over PGA Tour player Chris Gotterup and Korn Ferry Tour member Roberto Diaz.
Qualifiers
James Nicholas 67-68—135
Chris Gotterup 71-65—136
Roberto Diaz 65-71—136
Benjamin James (a) 67-70—137
Alternates
Max Theodorakis 71-67—138
Garrett Engle (a) 69-69—138
Duke University Golf Club, Durham, N.C.
Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach had three birdies on the front nine of his first round, but made only one more birdie over the final 27 holes and is the first alternate at 138. Chandler Blanchet of Jacksonville, a Korn Ferry Tour member, notched one of the final spots by closing with five pars in a row.
Qualifiers
Zach Bauchou 71-64—135
Alistair Docherty 72-64—136
Alvaro Ortiz 73-63—136
Emilio Gonzalez 69-67—136
Trent Phillips 70-67—137
George Kneiser 69-68—137
Chandler Blanchet 68-69—137
Alternates
Miles Russell (a) 68-70—138
Webb Simpson 72-66—138
Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, Columbus, Ohio
Cameron Young made a birdie on the first playoff hole to win a 5-for-1 playoff to knock out Chase Johnson, Eric Cole, Max Homa and Rickie Fowler. Jacksonville product and Palm Beach Gardens resident Bud Cauley finished second to reach his first U.S. Open and Ponte Vedra Beach resident Lanto Griffin finished third to qualify for his fifth.
Qualifiers
Erik Van Rooyen 64-67—131
Bud Cauley 69-68—137
Lanto Griffin 69-68—136
Justin Lower 68-69—137
Harrison Ott 67-71—138
Cameron Young 71-68—139
Alternates
Chase Johnson 68-71—139
Eric Cole 70-69—139
Lambton Golf & Country Club, York, Ontario, Canada
Vince Covello of Ponte Vedra Beach (144) and Tyler Mawhinney of Orange Park (145) failed to qualify. PGA Tour member Kevin Velo, who has made only three of 13 cuts this season, is the medalist.
Qualifiers
Kevin Velo 65-67—132
Niklas Norgaard 64-69—133
Matt Wallace 67-66—133
Thorbjorn Olesen 67-67—134
Mark Hubbard 64-70—134
Victor Perez 66-67—134
Emiliano Grillo 69-65—134
Alternates
Takumi Kanaya 69-66—135
Max McGreevy 66-69—135
Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio
Zac Blair beat Kurt Kitayama, Dawson Armstrong of Jacksonville and amateur John Peterson in a 4-for-1 playoff for the final qualifying spot.
Qualifiers
Grant Haefner 68-65—133
George Duangmanee 68-67—135
Maxwell Moldovan 69-66—135
Zac Blair 68-68—136
Alternates
John Peterson (a) 69-67—136
Kurt Kitayama 68-68—136
Valencia Country Club, Valencia, Calif.
Preston Summerhays, an Arizona State senior, birdied six of nine holes and five in a row in his second round.
Qualifiers
Preston Summerhays (a) 69-63—132
Riley Lewis 71-64—135
Zachery Pollo (a) 65-71—136
Lucas Carper 70-68—138*
Joey Herrera 70-68—138*
Will playoff for fthe irst alternate on June 3
Alternate
Matthew Sutherland 69-70—139
Wine Valley Golf Club, Walla Walla, Wash.
Medalist Matt Vogt is a former caddie at Oakmont and now is a dentist in Indiana. He is from Cranberry Township, Pa., 26 miles from Oakmont.
Qualifiers
Matt Vogt (a) 68-68—136
Brady Calkins 68-69—137
Alternates
Spencer Tibbits 69-69—138
Clark Sonnenberg (a) 70-68—138
Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Md.
Ryan McCormick, a Korn Ferry Tour member, had 11 birdies and only one bogey in 36 holes to easily win the qualifier.
Qualifiers
Ryan McCormick 66-66—132
Trevor Cone 69-68—137
Bryan Lee (a) 70-69—139
Marc Leishman 70-69—139
Alternates
Sebastian Munoz 71-68—139
Peter Uihlein 73-67—140
Bent Tree Country Club, Dallas (May 19)
Qualifiers
Rasmus Neergaard Petersen 66-65—131
James Hahn 66-66—132
Adam Schenk 64-68—132
Lance Simpson (a) 79-65—134
Cameron Tankersley (a) 68-66—134
Carlos Ortiz 66-68—134
Johnny Keefer 66-69—135
Alternates
Doug Ghim 69-66—135
Cameron Tringale 69-66—135
Tarao Country Club, Shiga, Japan (May 19)
Qualifiers
Yuta Sugiura 68-66—134
Scott Vincent 67-67—134
Jinichiro Kozuma 68-67—135
Alternates
Riki Kawamoto 67-68—135
Taichi Kho 64-71—135
Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England (May 19)
Jordan Smith 64-70—134
Frederic Lacroix 67-68—135
Joakim Lagergren 69-66—135
Guido Migliozzi 68-67—135
Sam Bairstow 70-66—136
Jacques Kruyswijk 66-71—137
Edoardo Molinari 66-71—137
Andrea Pavan 70-67—137
Matthew Jordan 63-74—137
Robin Williams 68-69—137
Alternates
Ryan Lumsden 66-71—137
Björn Åkesson 72-66—138
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