Some of the best stories entering Golf’s Longest Day include adopted D3 star from Lebanon, NHL legend’s son

Golf’s Longest Day is almost here.

Hundreds of players will take part in 36-hole final qualifiers across 10 sites in the U.S. on Monday, hoping to punch their tickets to the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

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Three final qualifiers have already taken place, in Dallas, the U.K. and Japan.

Here are some notables playing Monday, grouped by site:

BALLENISLES CC, PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

• Jack Cantlay: The younger brother of Patrick Cantlay just wrapped up his college career at Long Beach State, where he had seven top-10s in his career, including a T-2 at this spring’s Big West Championship.

• Luke Clanton: Now in his second year on the PGA Tour, Clanton is trying to qualify for his second U.S. Open. He tied for 41^st at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. He’s from Hialeah, Florida, where he grew up at the Country Club of Miami, a modest public facility with turf practice greens.

• Luis Gagne: The 30-year-old LSU grad was co-low amateur at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. In local qualifying that year, Gagne advanced via a coin flip after he and competitor Cristian DiMarco had left the course before they were supposed to play off for the final spot. He now plays on PGA Tour Americas.

• Niko Gordic-Ronderos: He is the youngest player at final qualifying, at 14 years old. He is a rising sophomore at Cardinal Mooney High in Bradenton, Florida.

• Matt Kuchar: The 47-year-old PGA Tour veteran has won nine times on Tour and played in 22 U.S. Opens.

• Austin Lemieux: After playing hockey at Arizona State, the 30-year-old son of NHL legend Mario Lemieux transitioned to professional golf.

• Luke Poulter: A rising senior at Florida and the son of Ian Poulter, who has played in 16 U.S. Opens. Poulter represented GB&I at last summer’s Walker Cup and last month won the NCAA Columbus Regional.

• Miles Russell: The world’s top-ranked junior player, Russell, 17, is verbally committed to play college golf at Florida State, starting in Fall 2027. He broke Tiger Woods’ record as the youngest winner of the AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year, in 2023. While he’s made the quarters at a U.S. Junior (2024) and U.S. Amateur (2025), he’s yet to qualify for a U.S. Open.

HAWKS RIDGE GC, BALL GROUND, GEORGIA

• Jackson Buchanan: The Illinois grad was a co-medalist last year at the Georgia final qualifier at Piedmont Driving Club, shooting 63-63 along with Mason Howell.

• Carter Maneth: Just finished his college career at Middle Tennessee. Has dealt with tragedy, as dad, Jeff, and paternal grandparents, Marion and Myra, died just over a year ago in a plane crash in the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee.

• Jon Mayer: Not to be confused with the musician John, this 27-year-old has worked as a PGA professional while playing the mini-tours.

• Ollie Schniederjans: Starred at Georgia Tech and has logged 102 PGA Tour starts. Now plays on the Asian Tour and has competed in a handful of LIV events as a reserve. Overcame surgeries on both hips in 2022.

• Chad Sewell: Played four years at UTSA before doing his COVID year at Sam Houston, where he’s also spent recent years as the Bearkats assistant and coached a couple of events last fall. Plays out of Conroe Country Club, a nine-hole course in Conroe, Texas, that is nicknamed “Little Augusta.” Several tour pros belong out there including Mark Hubbard and Sam Bennett.

• Trey Winstead: Was a standout at LSU before developing the driver yips over his final few seasons. The issue got so bad that he rinsed over a half-dozen tee shots at a U.S. Open local qualifier in 2023. He bounced back to finish No. 51 in KFT points last season.

WOODMONT CC, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

• Blades Brown: After bypassing college, the 19-year-old recently became a temporary member on the PGA Tour. He also sits 11th in KFT points. His mother, Rhonda, was the first player in WNBA history to record a 3-point basket.

• Mickey DeMorat: The Liberty grad is the nephew of comedian Daniel Tosh.

• Logan Reilly: Recently completed his freshman year at Auburn, which he helped to the NCAA team title. Reilly, the son of Wasserman agent Terry Reilly, earned the clinching point in the final versus UCLA.

• Michael Thorbjornsen: The former Stanford star, who was No. 1 in PGA Tour University in 2024, is trying to qualify for his fourth U.S. Open. He played his first one in 2019 after winning the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur. He uses a 10-finger grip.

CENTURY CC AND GC OF PURCHASE, PURCHASE, NEW YORK

• Shane Bacon: The 42-year-old golf broadcaster and personality will be making his U.S. Open debut after previously qualifying for the 2023 U.S. Amateur, where he missed the cut.

• Ben James: The recent Virginia grad just wrapped up a college career that saw him become just the fifth player ever to earn four first-team GCAA All-America honors, joining Gary Hallberg, Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Bryce Molder. Even if he qualifies for the U.S. Open, he’ll turn pro at the Travelers Championship as he chose to use his exemption through local qualifying.

• Mike McCoy: At age 63, the former U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur champ and 2023 U.S. Walker Cup captain is the oldest player at final qualifying.

• James Nicholas: Won earlier this year on the Korn Ferry Tour and got through last year’s U.S. Open final qualifier in New Jersey before making the cut at Oakmont, one of just two players to do so after starting at the local stage. Nicholas’ grandfather was an orthopedic surgeon who four times operated on Joe Namath’s right knee. Nicholas played three sports in high school, including hockey and football, and two at Yale (football and golf).

• Clancy Waugh: The son of former PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh and son-in-law of current USGA president Kevin Hammer. He played college golf at Wake Forest with Will Zalatoris and Cameron Young, and he is currently in the process of regaining his amateur status.

GASTON CC, GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA

• Cole Hammer: Played his first U.S. Open in 2015 at 15 years old, before going on to star at Texas. He made two U.S. Open starts during the 2020-21 season as the McCormick medalist. He is currently 23rd in KFT points. He also is set to get married later this summer.

• Ryo Ishikawa: The Bashful Prince is looking to qualify for his ninth U.S. Open. He has made four cuts. He took part in PGA Tour Q-School last December, earned KFT status and currently sits No. 56 in points.

• Niall Sheils Donegan: The North Carolina rising senior made the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur last summer before representing GB&I in the Walker Cup. His father, Lawrence Donegan, is a former golf columnist for The Guardian and previously was a bassist for two different rock bands.

• Webb Simpson: Owns three top-10s in 13 U.S. Open starts, including his win in 2012 and T-10 at Shinnecock in 2018. He got through final qualifying two years ago in Durham.

• Caleb VanArragon: Held a perfect 4.0 GPA for five years at Valparaiso. Also was conference’s student-athlete of the year all five years. Has a masters in analytics and modeling. His dad, Ray, was a philosophy professor and now is dean at Bethel University in Minnesota.

SPRINGFIELD CC, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO

• Gavin Aurilia: The 22-year-old USC graduate is the son of former MLB player Rich Aurilia.

• Daniel Bennett: Texas standout who was born in Botswana, went to school in Zimbabwe, then lived in Victoria, British Columbia, for almost six years. Took up golf in Canada but moved to South Africa in 2020 after a house fire destroyed the family’s home and killed their dog. For about six months before heading to college, he didn’t play tournaments to focus on school. Won Phil Mickelson Award last season despite not qualifying for Longhorns first two events of fall. He made a 10 on his last hole of his first college qualifier.

• Barend Botha: The South African and Toledo grad had major visa issues in 2024, and if didn’t win his Americas qualifier that June in California, he’s going home to South Africa for good to play dev tours. He then missed first three events of the Canada swing because of more immigration troubles and had little money but won back-to-back events to secure his KFT card. Last year, he battled back injuries, more visa application demands and had adjustment issues. Brother, NJ, an accountant, jumped on bag after he missed six straight cuts last summer. His T-2 at Utah helped him keep his KFT card. Attended the same high school as Christo Lamprecht.

• Matthew Comegys: Was the top-ranked Texan in the Class of 2022 and spent four years at Texas Tech before graduating and transferring to Texas last summer. He didn’t see action his final season in Lubbock as he took a medical redshirt due to left wrist surgery. Comegys tore both his scapholunate and TFCC ligaments while hitting a drive during the 2024 NCAA Championship. His surgery including having bone cut and a seven-screw plate installed. He missed nearly a year of competitive golf. He also married his high-school sweetheart last December.

• Tony Finau: Back in final qualifying for the first time in over a decade. He was in the final group on Sunday at Shinnecock in 2018 before finishing fifth.

• Dylan Meyer: The 30-year-old Illinois grad tied for 20^th at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock. He recently took over operating his childhood course in Evansville, Indiana, The Farm, and gives lessons out of there.

• Maxwell Moldovan: The Ohio State alum has qualified for the U.S. Open out of the Springfield qualifier in each of the past four years, including in 2023, when he lost an eight-hole playoff but still made it into the field at LAAC as an alternate.

• Brandt Snedeker: Notched his first PGA Tour win since 2018 earlier this year in Myrtle Beach. Joins opposing Presidents Cup captain Geoff Ogilvy in final qualifying.

LAKES G&CC, WESTERVILLE, OHIO

• Jimmy Abdo: The Cinderella of last summer’s U.S. Amateur, Abdo, who plays college golf at D-III Gustavus Adolphus in Minnesota, reached the quarterfinals as the the No. 4,292-ranked amateur in the world. Abdo was born in Lebanon in 2006 and adopted at two days old. He and his new mother, a Lebanese immigrant herself as a teen, escaped Beirut via helicopter about three weeks later.

• Jacob Bergeron: Played one season at LSU before qualifying for the 2018 U.S. Open and then turning pro before his sophomore year. He’s made just three PGA Tour starts since.

• Arni Sveinsson and Dabbi Sigurbrandsson: This marks the first time that two Iceland natives will play in the same final qualifier. Sveinsson is a rising junior at LSU, where he was a third-team All-American as a freshman. Dabbi Sigurbrandsson graduated from Missouri in 2025.

• Tyler Watts: The 18-year-old Tennessee signee is the youngest Alabama State Amateur champion, at age 15. He also was the runner-up at the 2024 U.S. Junior.

DEL PASO CC, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

• Kihei and Keanu Akina: The brothers are among seven siblings, four of which have or are playing Division-I athletics. Keanu played golf at BYU, where Kihei just finished his freshman year. Kihei is a member of the U.S. National Junior Team and recently won the Phil Mickelson Award as national freshman of the year.

• Kyle An: The recent UCLA grad led the Bruins to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship, where they lost to Auburn in Wednesday’s final at La Costa. Prior to that, he earned the clinching point in a quarterfinal win over Texas.

• Michael Block: The one they call Blockie just wrapped his 10th career major start with a missed cut at last month’s PGA Championship. He last played a U.S. Open at Shinnecock in 2018, missing the cut.

• Stewart Hagestad: The five-time Walker Cupper has competed in eight majors, including five U.S. Opens.

• Alex Lee: The 29-year-old Fresno State product is a Sacramento resident. He played on PGA Tour Americas last year but did not keep his card.

• Geoff Ogilvy: This year’s International Presidents Cup captain, Ogilvy is the 2006 U.S. Open champion but hasn’t played the national championship since Oakmont in 2016.

LAMBTON G&CC, YORK, CANADA

• Max Homa: One of many current PGA Tour players in the field, as it’s ahead of the RBC Canadian Open. Homa played five straight U.S. Opens before failing to qualify last year. He was part of the victorious 2013 U.S. Walker Cup team that won across the street from Shinnecock, at National Golf Links of America.

• Chandler Blanchet: Earned his PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour last season, during which he won twice, including the playoff finale. Blanchet won 13 times at D-II West Florida, including the 2017 NCAA D-II individual title.

• Yaroslav Merkulov: The 34-year-old New Yorker, who was born in Russia and played collegiately at Duke, nearly died at age 10 after collapsing while playing soccer. He was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition, a 1-inch hole in his heart. Not being able to play contact sports after that led Merkulov to golf. He lost to Jordan Spieth in the quarters of the 2009 U.S. Junior, while winning two New York State Juniors and a New York State Amateur. He turned pro after school but got his amateur status back in May 2019. Last month, Merkulov teamed with Shane Dobesh to win the New York State Four-Ball.

EMERALD VALLEY GC, CRESWELL, OREGON

• Baylor Larrabee: The UCLA rising junior was a starter on the Bruins’ recent NCAA runner-up squad that lost to Auburn. Larrabee lost to Jackson Koivun in his final match. Larrabee’s grandfather played basketball at Texas while his parents are also former college hoopers. Larrabee was a late bloomer before winning the 2024 Junior PGA.

• Andrew and Michael Putnam: The Putnam brothers – Andrew, 37, and Michael, 42 – have played in a combined 11 U.S. Opens but never one together.

• Michael Weaver: Lost to Steven Fox in the final of the 2012 U.S. Amateur and later made the cut at the 2013 U.S. Open. He’s not played a major since.