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Latest news from Monday's U.S. Open sectional qualifying
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June 08, 2015
By PGATOUR.COM
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June 08, 2015
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Martin Kaymer after winning the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
• LIVE SCORING: ALL SITES | Putnam qualifies for hometown U.S. Open
U.S. Open sectional qualifying is one of the most unique events of the year. Major champions tee up alongside high school students and mini-tour dreamers. They’re all vying for spots in the year’s second major. The U.S. Open is the only major that allows so many players to play their way into the field. Approximately half of the players who tee it up at Chambers Bay on June 18 will have earned their way through qualifying.
On Monday at 10 venues across the country, U.S. Open sectional qualifying took place. It's affectionately known as Golf's Longest Day. You can follow the latest happenings below, and be sure to check out the notables in each sectional.
Brookside Golf & Country Club & Lakes Golf & Country Club
Columbus, Ohio; 120 players for 15 spotsAdvanced:
Michael Putnam (68-64)
Sam Saunders (66-66)
David Hearn (68-65)
a-Bryson Dechambeau (66-67)
Sebastian Cappelen (71-64)
Daniel Summerhays (67-68)
George McNeill (70-66)
Ryo Ishikawa (69-67)
Brad Fritsch (69-67)
Cameron Smith (69-67)
Bo Van Pelt (65-71)
Camilo Villegas (64-72)
D.A. Points (70-67)
Robert Streb (69-68)
Danny Lee (67-70)University Place, Washington, native Michael Putnam not only qualified for his hometown U.S. Open, he shared medalist honors. Joining him at 12 under was Sam Saunders, the TOUR player and grandson of Arnold Palmer.
Also among those advancing out of Columbus was Bryson DeChambeau, the SMU junior that last week claimed the individual NCAA title. D.A. Points, Robert Streb and Danny Lee were the survivors of a five-for-three playoff that left fellow TOUR players Alex Cejka and Kevin Chappell as alternates.
Failed to advance:
- Stewart Cink: The 2009 Open Championship winner has competed in 19 U.S. Opens, including a third-place finish in 2001. Cink is a six-time PGA TOUR winner.
- Davis Love III: Love, 51, has played in 23 U.S. Opens, including a T2 in 1996. He has 20 PGA TOUR wins, including the 1997 PGA Championship. He served as United States captain for the 2012 Ryder Cup and will captain the 2016 U.S. squad.
- Maverick McNealy: The Stanford sophomore won The Haskins Award and Nicklaus Award as college golf’s player of the year. He won six times this season, including victories at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional and Pac-12 Championships
- Vijay Singh: Singh, 52, is a three-time major champion. His best U.S. Open finish is T3 at Pinehurst No. 2 in 1999.
- Steve Stricker: Stricker, 48, owns 12 PGA TOUR victories. He finished fifth in both the 1998 and 1999 U.S. Opens.
- Justin Thomas: The PGA TOUR rookie is No. 40 in the FedExCup. He has five top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR this season.
- Nick Watney: The five-time TOUR winner has played in the past eight U.S. Opens.
The Bear’s Club
Jupiter, Fla.; 70 players for TBD spotsAdvanced:
Andy Pope (73-67)
Luke Donald (72-68)
a-Jack Maguire (70-70)
a-Sam Horsfield (72-69)Back at sectional qualifying, Luke Donald avoided missing the U.S. Open for the first time since 2004, making seven birdies in his second-round 68. Web.com Tour player Andy Pope and Florida State sophomore Jack Maguire qualified outright, while Sam Horsfield advanced in a playoff over Cristobal Del Solar.
Failed to qualify:
- Jon Curran: The PGA TOUR rookie has four top-10s this season, including a playoff loss at the Puerto Rico Open. He was high school teammates with Keegan Bradley.
- Chris DiMarco: The 46-year-old is a three-time PGA TOUR winner. He has finished second in three major professional championships: the Masters (2005), British Open (2006) and PGA (2004).
- Sean Jacklin: Sean is the son of 1970 U.S. Open champion Tony Jacklin. He was named after actor Sean Connery, his father’s good friend.
- Brett Wetterich: Wetterich has won once on the PGA TOUR and three times on the Web.com Tour. He represented the United States in the 2006 Ryder Cup.
Big Canyon Country Club & Newport Beach Country Club
Newport Beach, Calif.; 112 players for TBD spotsAdvanced:
Kevin Lucas (68-66)
Jared Becher (67-69)
a-Beau Hossler (65-71)
a-Jake Knapp (64-72)
a-Brian Campbell (69-68)
Alex Kim (66-72)Jared Becher eagled the last at the Newport Beach sectional to lock up a spot, finishing two shots behind medalist Kevin Lucas. Twenty-year-old Beau Hossler qualified for what will already be his third U.S. Open, his first since 2012, when he finished T29. Hossler, who plays at Texas, was the 2015 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.
Alex grabbed the last spot, outlasting Josh Anderson with a par on their first playoff hole.
Failed to qualify:
- Patrick Cantlay: Cantlay was a semifinalist in the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay shortly before his freshman season at UCLA, where he was named college golf’s player of the year in June 2011. Cantlay was the low amateur in 2011 U.S. Open (T21). He won on the Web.com Tour in 2013 and earned a PGA TOUR card for the 2013-14 season, but has played just six PGA TOUR events since. His last TOUR start came in the 2014 OHL Classic at Mayakoba (T76).
- Jason Gore: The former TOUR winner and seven-time Web.com Tour winner was a Cinderella story at the 2005 U.S. Open, where he played in the final group.
- Max Homa: The PGA TOUR rookie is No. 147 in the FedExCup. He won the 2013 NCAA Championship and played in that year’s U.S. Open. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay.
- Chris Zambri: The former Web.com Tour player is the head coach of the USC men's golf team, which finished runner-up at the NCAA Championship.
Hawks Ridge Golf Club
Ball Ground, Ga.; 42 players for 3 spotsAdvanced:
a-Matthew Nesmith (63-64)
a-Lee McCoy (65-66)
Roberto Castro (64-68)SEC champion Matthew Nesmith led the way at Hawks Ridge, making 17 birdies and an eagle in his 36-hole qualifier. Nesmith, a junior at South Carolina, didn't make a bogey until his 33rd hole of the day, claiming a four-shot win over McCoy, a co-medalist at last year's U.S. Amateur. Castro, who has made eight starts on the PGA TOUR this season, finished a shot ahead of his brother, Franco, to claim the last spot.
Failed to qualify:
- Matthew Bettencourt: Bettencourt has played in three U.S. Opens; he finished T9 in 2009 at Bethpage State Park. He has won once on the PGA TOUR and twice on the Web.com Tour.
- Stewart Jolly: He was a member of the LSU team that won this year's NCAA Championship and represented the U.S. at the 2014 Palmer Cup.
- Smylie Kaufman: The Web.com Tour rookie is No. 7 on the money list after winning the United Leasing Championship presented by PTI. He also has two T4 finishes. He qualified for last year’s U.S. Open.
Woodmont Country Club (North Course)
Rockville, Md.; 56 players for 3 spotsAdvanced:
a-Denny McCarthy (70-68)
Billy Hurley III (66-72)
Tim O'Neal (69-73)TOUR player and former Navy man Billy Hurley III grabbed a spot after an opening 66. He finished 48th at last year's U.S. Open. Twenty-two-year-old Virginia grad Denny McCarthy shared medalist honors. McCarthy, Beau Hossler and Bryson DeChambeau were on the United States' three-man team that won last year's World Amateur Team Championship; all three qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday.
Failed to qualify:
- Garrett Barber: The 15-year-old shot 5-under 67 to win his local qualifier. He is a ninth-grader at The Pine School.
- Michael Thompson: Thompson won the 2013 The Honda Classic on the PGA TOUR and was runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club.
- Steve Wheatcroft: The PGA TOUR player was runner-up at this year's Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation. He won the 2011 Melwood Prince George's County Open presented by Under Armour in Maryland, setting the Web.com Tour record for largest margin of victory (12 strokes).
Old Oaks Country Club & Century Country Club
Purchase, N.Y.; 71 golfers for 4 spotsAdvanced:
Lee Janzen (69-68)
Jamie Lovemark (69-70)
Pat Wilson (71-69)
Rich Berberian Jr. (71-69)Janzen, 50, won the 1993 and 1998 U.S. Opens, making him one of 18 players with multiple U.S. Open titles. He has not played in the Open since 2008. Janzen, who owns 12 PGA TOUR victories, won for the first time on the Champions Tour on Feb. 15. Lovemark was the 2007 NCAA individual champion and the 2010 Web.com Tour Player of the Year.
Failed to qualify
- Nathan Smith: Smith has competed in four Masters after winning the U.S. Mid-Amateur four times. He also has played on three Walker Cup teams. He recently won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with Walker Cup teammate Todd White.
- Johnson Wagner: The three-time PGA TOUR winner was runner-up at this year's Shell Houston Open.
- Mark Watros: Watros served in the U.S. Marine Corps and had several tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Distinguished Device after redirecting a vehicle loaded with explosives, saving many of his fellow Marines.
Springfield Country Club
Springfield, Ohio; 67 players for 4 spotsAdvanced:
Michael Davan (65-67)
Tony Finau (66-67)
a-Nick Hardy (68-66)
Stephan Jaeger (66-68)As a PGA TOUR rookie, Tony Finau has 10 top-25s, including four top-10s, this season. He'll also be headed to his first major championship after finishing one behind Michael Davan in Springfield. University of Illinois sophomore Nick Hardy and former Chattanooga All-American Stephan Jaeger grabbed the last two spots.
Failed to qualify:
- Will Grimmer: Grimmer, 17, of Cincinnati, Ohio, will attempt to advance to the U.S. Open through both local and sectional qualifying for the second consecutive year.
- Jeff Overton: Overton represented the United States at the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Germantown Country Club & Ridgeway Country Club
Memphis, Tenn.; 121 golfers for 10 spotsAdvanced:
Tyler Duncan (67-66)
Blayne Barber (66-67)
Brad Elder (63-70)
Tom Hoge (69-65)
Brandon Hagy (65-69)
Charlie Beljan (67-68)
Brian Harman (65-70)
Andres Romero (69-67)
a-Davis Riley (69-67)
Retief Goosen (64-72)Two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen grabbed the last spot at Memphis, holding on after making bogeys on two of his last three. TOUR player Blayne Barber (three top-10 finishes on TOUR this year) shared medalist honors with Web.com Tour players Tyler Duncan and Brad Elder. Barber and his wife Morgan welcomed their first child, a daughter named Emma, on May 28.
Failed to advance:
- Jonathan Byrd: Byrd is a five-time TOUR winner, most recently at the 2011 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
- Austin Connelly: Connelly, an incoming freshman at the University of Arkansas, recently finished T73 at the AT&T Byron Nelson (69-66-72). He won this year’s Jones Cup, an amateur event won by the likes of Patrick Reed, Justin Thomas and John Peterson.
- Ben Crane: The five-time TOUR winner will defend his title at the FedEx St. Jude in nearby Germantown the same week that he attempts to qualify for the U.S. Open in his native Pacific Northwest. Crane is from Oregon and attended the University of Oregon.
- David Duval: The former world No. 1 and 2001 Open Championship winner tied for second in the 2009 U.S. Open. His last U.S. Open appearance came in 2010 (T70).
- Harris English: English, a two-time TOUR winner, advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2010 U.S. Amateur at Chambers Bay.
- David Toms: Toms is a 13-time PGA TOUR winner, including the 2001 PGA Championship. He finished fourth at the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic Club.
Northwood Club
Dallas, Texas, 78 players for 6 spotsAdvanced:
Mark Silvers (66-65)
a-Cole Hammer (64-68)
a-Matt Mabrey (67-67)
Cody Gribble (67-67)
Jason Allred (67-67)
a-Kyle Jones (65-69)Fifteen-year-old Cole Hammer stole the show at Northwood, firing an opening 64. The high school freshman is already committed to the University of Texas in 2018. Cody Gribble, who was teammates with Jordan Spieth on Texas' 2012 NCAA title team and finished T21 at last year's U.S. Open, also qualified.
Failed to advance:
- Patton Kizzire: The Auburn product is the leading money winner on the Web.com Tour. He has yet to win this season, but has six top-10s in 10 starts, including two runners-up.
- Andrew Landry: The Arkansas product is No. 8 on the Web.com Tour money list after winning the Cartagena de Indias at Karibana Championship presented by Prebuild
- Hao Tong Li: Li, 19, was the 2014 PGA TOUR China Player of the Year. He was runner-up at the European Tour's Shenzhen International earlier this year and sixth at the Volvo China Open.
- Rod Pampling: Pampling, 45, recently earned his first Web.com Tour victory at the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation. He is a two-time PGA TOUR winner, most recently at the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard.
- Scott Verplank: Verplank, 50, won the 1984 U.S. Amateur and has five PGA Tour wins. He will compete in his second U.S. Senior Open this year.
Tumble Creek Club
Cle Elum, Wash.; 50 players for 3 spotsAdvanced:
Cheng-Tsung Pan (69-69)
Richard Lee (69-70)
Troy Kelly (68-71)Cheng-Tsung Pan, of Chinese Taipei, was runner-up at this year’s NCAA Division I Championship. That was his final start for the University of Washington, where he was a two-time first-team All-American. He has played in two U.S. Opens, finishing 45th in 2013. Pan birdied three of his last four to advance, including a chip-in at No. 16.
Joining Pan are two more Washington alums, Richard Lee and Troy Kelly.
Failed to advance:
- Casey Martin: Martin is in his ninth year as the head coach at the University of Oregon. His team finished No. 16 in this season’s Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. He most recently qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open. He won once on the Web.com Tour.
- Drew Weaver: He won the first event of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada season, the PC Financial Open. He also won the 2007 British Amateur.
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