U.S. Open Final Qualifying: Final results
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Tracking the road to Los Angeles Country Club through Final Qualifying
"Golf's Longest Day" delivered once again.
The U.S. Open is traditionally known as the most democratic of golf's biggest events because it offers so many spots to qualifiers. Monday featured 10 of 13 Final Qualifying sites; the day offered 50 spots in next week's field at Los Angeles Country Club. After 36 holes of marathon madness (and even some playoffs), there will be no shortage of underdogs set to compete in Hollywood against the Rahms, Schefflers and McIlroys of the world.
Nearly 10,000 players teed it up in 109 Local Qualifying events between April 17 and May 22 for the chance to compete in one of 13 Final Qualifying events. Based on strength of field at each Final Qualifying site, the number of spots awarded in the U.S. Open field varies by site. The scoring hub for all 13 can be found here.
Check below to see how notable names fared at this year's 13 Final Qualifying sites. From major champions to club champions, Final Qualifying always features a plethora of intriguing storylines. It’s the ultimate meritocracy: play great golf for 36 holes, compete for a national championship. This is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know from Golf's Longest Day.
Los Angeles, Calif. (Hillcrest Country Club)
89 players for 5 spots
Qualifiers
1. Omar Morales, 65-65
T2. Barclay Brown, 65-67
T2. David Puig, 68-64
T4. Charley Hoffman, 69-64
T4. Preston Summerhays, 71-62
1st alt. Josh Anderson, 66-67
2nd alt. Brendan Steele, 68-66
Notables
MC. Luke Potter, 72-65
MC. Kevin Yu, 71-68
MC. T.J. Vogel, 69-71
MC. Tommy Morrison, 68-73
MC. Dylan Block, 81-71
Omar Morales, a sophomore at UCLA, finished medalist after making 13 birdies through 36 holes at Hillcrest. The former top-ranked Mexican amateur won the El Macero Classic (collegiate) in April with scores of 69-67-67. Morales also finished second at the 2022 Desert Amateur and stands No. 338 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Barclay Brown, 22, recently completed his senior season at Stanford and stands No. 27 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. At the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, Brown was T5 after an opening-round, 4-under 68. He made the cut and finished T79. Brown is a member of Hallamshire Golf Club, which is also home to reigning U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. The South Yorkshire native was co-medalist in stroke play at the 2022 Amateur at Royal Lytham after rounds of 70-65.
Charley Hoffman, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, will make his ninth U.S. Open appearance at Los Angeles Country Club after rounds of 69-64. His final-round 64 was highlighted with eagles on the par-5 third hole and par-4 17th at Hillcrest Country Club, and he qualified in Tuesday morning’s playoff. Hoffman’s best U.S. Open finish came at Erin Hills in 2017 (eighth). Hoffman, 46, stands No. 389 in the OWGR, with his last title coming at the 2016 Valero Texas Open.
After a bogey-free 62 in the second round of Final Qualifying, Preston Summerhays will join fellow Arizona State Sun Devil David Puig at the 145th U.S. Open after surviving Tuesday morning’s playoff. The world’s 28th-ranked amateur maintained a 69.79 scoring average during his sophomore season in Tempe. His marquee victory of the season came at the Thunderbird Collegiate with rounds of 66-68-66. Summerhays was the 2022 PAC-12 Freshman of the Year after eight top-10 finishes in 13 tournaments. His most impressive showing as a freshman came in match play at the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, where he beat 2022 Haskins Award winner Chris Gotterup, 7 and 5. Before enrolling at Arizona State, Summerhays was a First-team Rolex Junior All-American and winner of the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
Josh Anderson, the 2019 California State Open winner, is a former Pepperdine standout earning All-WCC first-team honors from 2008-12. Following his career at Pepperdine, Anderson played 10 events on PGA TOUR Canada in 2013-14 and seven on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2014. His last PGA TOUR start came at the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open (MC). He fell just short in Tuesday morning’s playoff.
Dylan Block’s dad Michael finished T15 at last month’s PGA Championship and will compete in this week’s RBC Canadian Open after falling just short of qualifying for the U.S. Open at the Toronto site.
- Will Doctor
Lakewood, Wash. (Tacoma Country & Golf Club)
54 players for 2 spots
Qualifiers
T1. Jesse Schutte, 73-66
T1. Alexander Yang, 72-67
1st alt. Bastien Amat, 75-65
2nd alt. George Markham, 72-69
Notables
MC. Zihao Jin, 76-72
Jesse Schutte, 32, survived two double bogeys in his opening round. His second-round 66 was fueled by five birdies on the back nine at Tacoma Country & Golf Club. The U.S. Open will be his second start on the PGA TOUR. Schutte’s maiden PGA TOUR appearance came after Monday qualifying for the 2014 Barracuda Championship (MC). The former Dakotas Tour winner played collegiately at Oklahoma and Oregon State.
Alexander Yang has a career scoring average of 74.44 through two seasons at Stanford University and is currently 470th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He finished third at the 2022 California Amateur Championship and 17th at the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. At 17 years old, Yang finished 13th at the 2020 Hong Kong Open as an amateur in his first professional tournament. He made 11 birdies en route to qualifying for the U.S. Open.
Zihao Jin, a former San Diego State standout, won the 2022 California State Open.
– Will Doctor
Springfield, Ohio (Springfield CC)
75 players for 5 spots
Qualifiers
1. Sam Stevens, 65-62
2. Taylor Pendrith, 66-64
3. Nick Hardy, 71-61
T4. Dylan Wu, 63-70
T4. Alex Schaake, 68-65
1st alt. Maxwell Moldovan (a), 63-70
2nd alt. Vincent Whaley, 66-68
Notables
MC. Kramer Hickok, 66-69
MC. Troy Merritt, 66-69
MC. Robert Streb, 67-69
MC. JJ Spaun, 69-67
MC. Mark Hubbard, 71-66
MC. Brian Stuard, 68-72
MC. Zac Blair, 72-71
MC. Wyatt Worthington II, 72-72
Sam Stevens was not messing around Monday afternoon when he unleashed eight birdies at Springfield Country Club to shoot 62 and lead the qualifier by three shots, finishing at 13 under. The 26-year-old rookie is 56th in the FedExCup after a runner-up at the Valero Texas Open and third-place finish in the Corales Puntacana Championship. He finished T49 in last year’s U.S. Open. His grandfather, Johnny, was low amateur in the 1994 U.S. Senior Open and played in the 1969 U.S. Open.
Like Stevens, Taylor Pendrith advanced easily, thanks to an afternoon 64. The 32-year-old Canadian, who was a member of the 2022 International Presidents Cup Team last year at Quail Hollow, has played in the U.S. Open twice, but did not play last year at The Country Club. In 2020 at Winged Foot, Pendrith shot a final-round 70 that vaulted him up the leaderboard and into a tie for 23rd place for his best major finish.
Only six weeks removed from his first PGA TOUR victory, Nick Hardy shot the low round of the day when he needed it most. Hardy teamed with Davis Riley to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April, and on Monday he made nine birdies and an eagle to shoot 61 and avoid a playoff by one shot. He shot 1-over 71 in Round 1, 9-under 61 in Round 2 for an 8-under total to finish in third place.
After 36 holes and then eight playoff holes, Alex Schaake finally made birdie to claim the final spot, topping amateur Maxwell Moldovan of Ohio State. It originally was a three-for-two playoff but Dylan Wu made an earlier birdie to advance. Then on the 44th hole of the day, Schaake hit his approach to 3 feet to end it. “This is what we came out here to do,” Schaake told Golf Channel. “It’s a dream to play in the U.S. Open and you may only ever get one opportunity to do it. You have to step up and do it.”
- Jay Coffin
Durham, N.C. (Old Chatham GC)
76 players for 5 spots
Qualifiers
1. Yuto Katsuragawa, 64-68
2. Patrick Cover, 67-65
3. Paul Barjon, 69-64
4. Mac Meissner, 67-66
5. Frankie Capan, 67-66
1st alt. Chan Kim, 70-64
2nd alt. Doc Redman, 67-68
Notables
MC. Chandler Phillips, 71-66
MC. Dylan Menante, 72-67
MC. Chesson Hadley, 69-72
MC. Spencer Levin, 73-74
The Korn Ferry Tour’s star shone bright at this site, as all five to qualify at Old Chatham GC currently compete on the circuit. This site marked a convenient touchpoint after last week’s UNC Health Championship presented by STITCH at Raleigh CC, en route to this week’s BMW Championship presented by TD SYNNEX in Greenville, South Carolina.
Yuto Katsuragawa, 24, had made just one cut in eight Korn Ferry Tour starts this season, but he made a grip adjustment on the range Monday morning, he said, leading to success across 36 holes. The 2022 ISPS Handa Championship winner on the Japan Golf Tour, he also competed in The Open Championship last year, finishing T47. He has stood as high as No. 102 on the Official World Golf Ranking. He’s still building his English-language skills, but he beamed when asked if he was excited for a trip to Los Angeles Country Club, saying, “Very excited.”
Patrick Cover, who played collegiately at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, has made seven of 12 cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour this season and stands No. 71 on the season-long points race. He has made two prior TOUR starts, in addition to time spent on PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
Mac Meissner, a former college standout at SMU, gained notoriety earlier this year with a 59 in the second round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic. The San Antonio, Texas native, won the 2021 Byron Nelson Award for an outstanding academic and college golf career. His celebratory plans? A road trip to the Korn Ferry Tour’s next stop in Greenville, South Carolina, with a heavy dose of country music.
Frankie Capan continued his qualifying success with his mom Charlynn on the bag; she looped during last fall’s Q-School where he earned Korn Ferry Tour status for the first time. Capan maintained momentum – “it’s a real thing,” he said – from the previous day’s UNC Health Championship, where he made five birdies in his final six holes to finish T3. The Minnesota native, 23, currently stands No. 30 on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List. He spent two years playing collegiately at Alabama before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast for two seasons; he graduated in 2022.
Paul Barjon is set to reunite with fellow TCU alum and good friend Tom Hoge at Los Angeles CC. “He didn’t have to qualify,” Barjon laughed; Hoge had automatically qualified via the Official World Golf Ranking. Barjon has spent time on TOUR but currently plays on the Korn Ferry Tour; he’s No. 130 on the season-long points race, and perhaps qualifying for his third U.S. Open will spark his summer.
– Kevin Prise
Rockville, Md. (Woodmont CC, North Course)
60 players for 4 spots
Qualifiers
1. Karl Vilips (a), 68-70
1. Isaac Simmons (a), 69-69
3. Sebastian Munoz, 66-73
4. Michael Brennan (a), 74-65
1st alt. Ben Kohles, 69-70
2nd alt. George Duangmanee-a, 71-68
Notables
MC. Marc Leishman, 68-74
MC. Tom Lovelady, 73-71
MC. Joseph Bramlett, 71-71
On a day when his friend and teammate, Michael Thorbjornsen, was medalist at another site, Stanford junior Karl Vilips made just four bogeys in a solid effort that also made for a nifty pairing to watch. That’s because he and Isaac Simmons, from Liberty, were in the same group and combined for an eagle (Vilips) and 16 birdies to each finish 4 under and share medalist honors.
Tied at 3 under, a foursome of competitors went into a playoff to determine the final two spots. Amateurs Michael Brennan (74-65) and George Duangmanee (71-68) went up against Ben Kohles (69-70) and Sebastian Munoz (66-73). Munoz birdied first to secure the third spot, while Brennan got the second with a par. Kohles will be the first alternate, Duangmanee the second alternate.
Kohles, who won back-to-back Korn Ferry Tour events in his first two starts as a pro way back in 2012, played at the University of Virginia alongside Denny McCarthy. They’ve remained great friends through the years. Kohles actually stayed with McCarthy’s parents, who live near the Woodmont CC venue.
– Jim McCabe
Columbus, Ohio (Lakes G&CC/Brookside G&CC)
103 players for 11 spots
Qualifiers
1. Olin Browne Jr., 66-67
2. Davis Thompson, 71-63
T3. Eric Cole, 67-68
T3. Nicolas Echavarria, 66-69
T3. Corey Pereira, 65-70
T3. Luke List, 67-68
T3. Patrick Rodgers, 66-69
T3. Stewart Cink, 68-67
T9. Kevin Streelman, 69-67
T9. Nick Dunlap (a), 68-68
T9. David Nyfjall (a), 68-68
1st alt. Lucas Glover, 63-73
2nd alt. Harrison Ott, 66-71
Notables
MC. Erik Van Rooyen, 69-69
MC. Cameron Champ, 69-69
MC. Carson Herron (a), 71-67
MC. Ben Griffin, 68-71
MC. Tyson Alexander, 71-69
MC. Aaron Baddeley, 69-71
MC. William McGirt, 71-69
MC. Kevin Chappell, 67-74
MC. Chris Gotterup, 72-69
MC. Kevin Tway, 73-69
MC. Peter Malnati, 71-71
MC. David Lingmerth, 71-73
MC. Nick Watney, 74-80
Olin Browne Jr. shot a smooth 66 in the morning at The Lakes Golf & Country Club, then rebounded nicely with a 67 in the afternoon at Brookside Golf & Country Club. The 12-year professional led everyone at 11 under par to qualify for his first major championship (and PGA TOUR event) by making 13 birdies during 36 holes. His father, Olin Browne Sr., shot 59 in 2005 to qualify for the U.S. Open, then was a co-leader at Pinehurst No. 2 after 36 holes.
Eric Cole has made plenty of headlines this year on the PGA TOUR, starting with his performance at The Honda Classic, where he lost in a playoff to Chris Kirk. He’s since tied for fifth place at the Mexico Open at Vidanta and is up to No. 89 in the OWGR. Now, the 34-year-old will be playing in his second U.S. Open after making six birdies in the afternoon at Brookside to easily earn his way to California. His father Bobby Cole played in seven U.S. Opens and his mother, Laura Baugh, the 1971 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, competed in 14 U.S. Women’s Open. Eric Cole finished T15 in last month’s PGA Championship.
Patrick Rodgers has made the cut in all four U.S. Opens that he’s played, starting back in 2016, and now he gets a chance to top that feat by playing in his fifth.
After a third-place finish in his PGA TOUR Champions debut two weeks ago, Stewart Cink shot 68-67 to qualify for his 24th U.S. Open, his best finish a tie for third in 2001 at Southern Hills. The 2009 Open Championship winner told reporters afterward that he took for granted the days when he was guaranteed major championship starts and, at age 50, the eight-time PGA TOUR winner still relishes the thought of playing against the best players in the world on some of the game’s most difficult golf courses.
Nick Dunlap just completed his freshman year at the University of Alabama and is now heading to Los Angeles to play in the U.S. Open. The 2021 U.S. Junior champ and AJGA Player of the Year escaped out of a four-for-three playoff and made birdie on the third extra frame to punch his ticket. It’s been busy two weeks for Dunlap, as he shot a third-round 66 just last week at the NCAA Championship in Arizona and finished T11. He ended the season ranked in the top 20 in the nation in Golfweek’s collegiate rankings.
– Jay Coffin
Boynton Beach, Fla. (Pine Tree GC)
51 players for 3 spots
Qualifiers
1. Austen Truslow, 66-69
2. Brendan Valdes (a), 69-68
3. Carlos Ortiz, 67-71
1st alt. Luis Gagne, 71-67.
2nd alt. Wesley Bryan, 69-69
Notables
MC. Julian Suri, 69-70
MC. Cristian Dimarco, 75-72
MC. Cameron Kuchar (a), 76-76
How impressive was Austen Truslow’s first 28 holes Monday? So much so that he bogeyed four of his final eight and still comfortably finished first at 5 under. With birdies on three of his last five holes to wrap up a morning 66, the 27-year-old from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, made three birdies over his first nine holes in the afternoon, then holed out for eagle at the par-4 first (his 10th hole) to get in position to put it in cruise control. Having turned pro in 2015, a year out of high school, Truslow played the Dakotas Tour for a while and had Korn Ferry Tour status in 2020-21. He’s mixed in four PGA TOUR starts, including a T-10 at the 2019 Puerto Rico Open.
Brendan Valdes finished second with birdies at his 16th and 17th holes. From Orlando, Florida, he just finished his sophomore year at Auburn. He won the prestigious Isleworth Collegiate Invitational this fall and was a 2023 honorable mention All-American.
PGA TOUR veteran Wesley Bryan played his final five holes in 4 under (an eagle and two birdies) to finish in a three-way tie with Luis Gagne and Carlos Ortiz for the final spot. But Bryan bowed out first and Ortiz prevailed in a lengthy playoff with Gagne.
Matt Kuchar’s 15-year-old son Cameron shot a pair of 76s and Chris DiMarco’s son, Cristian, fell short with 75-72.
- Jim McCabe
Ball Ground, Ga. (Hawks Ridge GC)
43 players for 3 spots
Qualifiers
1. Gordon Sargent (a), 64-67
T2. Kyle Mueller, 66-67
T2. J.J. Grey, 64-69
1st alt. Zack Sucher, 70-64
2nd alt. Jackson Buchanan (a), 67-68
Notables
MC. Roberto Castro, 69-67
MC. Ted Potter Jr., 65-74
MC. David Ford (a), 68-72
Gordon Sargent, the 2022 NCAA champion, will compete in his second major championship of the year after shooting 64-67 to earn medalist honors in Georgia. Sargent earned a special invitation to this year’s Masters and impressed some of the world’s best players. He was the talk of the practice rounds but struggled to rounds of 77 and 76 to miss the cut. Now he’ll have a chance to make amends.
Sargent is coming off a sophomore season at Vanderbilt that once again saw him earn First-Team All-American honors. With Ludvig Aberg turning pro, Sargent has returned to No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Sargent’s appearance in the U.S. Open also will help him toward the 20 points needed to earn a PGA TOUR card through PGA TOUR U’s Accelerated Program. He currently has 13 points and will earn one point for teeing it up at Los Angeles Country Club (another point is available if makes the cut). Sargent also is guaranteed one point for his upcoming Palmer Cup appearance and will earn two more points if he plays in this year’s Walker Cup.
England’s J.J. Grey has a story of perseverance. He graduated from Georgia State in 2016 and turned pro but didn’t really have a place to play in 2017. The next year he spent most of the year at home as his wife finished law school. By 2021 he had earned PGA TOUR Canada status and in 2022 he was on the Korn Ferry Tour. He earned less than $20,000 on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, however.
- Sean Martin
Summit, N.J. (Canoe Brook Country Club)
67 players for 4 spots
Qualifiers
1. Michael Thorbjornsen (a), 66-68
2. Berry Henson, 64-71
3. Christian Cavaliere (a), 67-69
4. Andrew Svoboda, 67-70
1st alt. Christian Crawford, 69-68
2nd alt. a-Luke Sample, 70-68
Notables
MC. Derek Hitchner (a), 72-68
MC. Harrison Endycott, 72-70
MC. Nicholas Gross (a), 68-74
MC. Kelly Kraft, 70-73
MC. Benjamin James (a), 73-73
MC. Jim Herman, 73-74
MC. Stewart Hagestad (a), 71-77
MC. Brandon Matthews, 73-76
MC. Matt Parziale (a), 80-71
MC. Raymond Floyd Jr. (a), 76-81
Michael Thornbjornsen: The Pac-12 Golfer of the Year at Stanford came back east – he went to high school in Wellesley, Mass. – to earn medalist honors in New Jersey by one. Opening with a 66 on the South Course to get into T2 position through 18, Thorbjornsen delivered a 68 on the longer and more-difficult North Course while the largest gallery on the grounds followed him. At age 21, he’ll play in his third U.S. Open after finishing 79th in 2019 and missing the cut in 2022. In the last 12 months, he also has a fourth place finish at the 2022 Travelers Championship and T20 finish at the 2023 Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour to his name.
Christian Cavaliere: A former standout at Boston College, Cavaliere simultaneously started Tremont Sporting Co. out of his Chestnut Hill dorm room and later his family’s Westchester County, N.Y. home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cavaliere opted to focus on running his business as opposed to playing professional golf after his Golden Eagles career. Expect Cavaliere to don some of Tremont’s headcovers, hats and accessories at LACC.
Andrew Svoboda: A three-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, Svoboda has 78 career PGA TOUR starts, as he held status from 2013-2015. His best finish came at the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans when he finished T2 to Seung-yul Noh. Now 43, Svoboda works as a private instructor based in Milford, Conn. He advanced to his fifth U.S. Open by making a birdie on the first playoff hole against Christopher Crawford.
Nicholas Gross: The fifth-ranked junior in the world – he became the youngest player to reach the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals as a 15-year-old last August – Gross opened with a promising 68 on the more difficult North Course. However, he stumbled with a 74 on the South Course, dropping him out of the playoff by five shots. A high school junior from Pennsylvania, he has verbally committed to the University of Alabama.
Kelly Kraft: The 2011 U.S. Amateur champion, Kraft has five major starts, but has never made an appearance in the U.S. Open (Kraft turned professional after the 2012 Masters, forfeiting his initial 2012 exemption). A second-round 73 sent the current PGA TOUR player the wrong way.
Stewart Hagestad: A two-time U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion, Hagestad failed to reach his fifth U.S. Open. The three-time Walker Cup player, who made the cut at the 2022 U.S. Open, was still in the mix with an opening 71, but shot a 77 in his second round on the South Course. He now goes back to balancing his day job in finance with various amateur events across the country.
– Jeff Eisenband
Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Lambton G&CC)
27 players for 3 spots
Qualifiers
1. Ryan Gerard, 63-66
2. Vincent Norrman, 69-63
3. Ryan Armour, 66-67
1st alt. Harry Hall, 64-70*
*Defeated Jimmy Walker on first playoff hole
Notables
MC. Michael Block, 69-66
MC. Ludvig Aberg, 66-70
MC. Richy Werenski, 67-71
MC. Michael Gligic, 67-72
Ryan Gerard earned medalist honors by four shots after shooting a course-record 63 in the morning at Lambton Golf and Country Club. The 63 included an ace on the par-3 12th. Gerard earned Special Temporary Membership on the PGA TOUR earlier this year thanks a fourth-place result at The Honda Classic followed by a tie for 11th at the Puerto Rico Open the next week. The University of North Carolina alum qualified for last year’s U.S. Open after earning co-medalist honors at the Club at Admiral’s Cove in Florida. Gerard backed up his record-setting first round with a solid 4-under 66, including birdies on Nos. 12 and 13, and a lengthy birdie – excitable fist-pump included – on the finishing par-4 18th.
“It’s really cool. It’s really special. I’ve always dreamed, as a kid, to play in big tournaments. Just any time you get a chance to play in a large tournament, a PGA TOUR event, or a major championship it’s really cool and you have to cherish those opportunities,” said Gerard. “Just fulfilling dreams I had as a little kid.”
Vincent Norrman will make his major-championship debut after finishing at 8 under. Norrman tied the course record set by Gerard earlier in the day in the afternoon thanks to a four-birdie-in-a-row stretch on the front nine. Norrman, who turned pro in 2021, earned his PGA TOUR card via his finish on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List last season (he finished 23rd). Norrman has played 18 events so far in his rookie PGA TOUR season and was coming into the U.S. Open qualifier on the back of four consecutive made cuts. He has two top-10 results in that stretch including a tie for ninth at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and a season-best tie for eighth at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Ryan Armour will make his fourth major appearance, but his U.S. Open debut. He finished third at 7 under at the Toronto qualifier. Armour fired a back-nine 30 in the first round, including a stretch of five birdies in six holes. Despite bogeying the par-4 first in the second round, he righted the ship quickly with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4. Armour has played 20 events on the PGA TOUR season with a best result of a tie for 13th at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Harry Hall drained a 15-foot birdie try on the first playoff hole with Jimmy Walker to earn the first alternate spot. Hall, a UNLV alum, was at the Vegas Golden Knights NHL hockey game Saturday before taking a red-eye flight to Toronto and came straight to the course for a practice round on Sunday.
– Adam Stanley
Here’s a look at who advanced to the U.S. Open via the three sites contested on May 22:
MAY 22
Ibaraki Golf Club (West Course), Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan; 29 players for 3 spots
Click herefor final results
QUALIFIERS
Gunn Charoenkul, 67-63--130
Ryutaro Nagano, 66-67--133
Ryo Ishikawa, 64-72--136
ALTERNATES
1st: Takumi Kanaya, 67-70--137
2nd: Taisel Shimizu, 69-68--137
NOTABLES
*Still only 31 years old, Ryo Ishikawa has seemingly lived several lifetimes in golf already. He turned pro at the age of 16, became the youngest player to crack the top 50 in the world golf rankings at 17, then broke out in earnest in front of the American golf community as an 18-year-old within two shots of the lead after 36 holes at the 2010 U.S. Open. He will tee it up in this year’s tournament, too, his seventh U.S. Open and 24th major championship appearance. Once thought to be golf’s next young superstar, Ishikawa fell short of those massive expectations but still has 16 international titles (most recently with a win on the Japan Golf Tour in 2022) to his name and a pair of runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR. Ishikawa (64-72), who carded the best opening round in qualifying, needed a birdie on the 17th hole of his second round to ensure the last qualifying spot.
* The best round of the event came from Gunn Charoenkul, who entered the second round outside of qualifying. By day’s end, he was three strokes clear of Ryutaro Nagano in second place and six of Ishikawa as the 31-year-old from Thailand fired a bogey-free 9-under 63. It will be Charoenkul’s first U.S. Open and second major championship (he missed the cut at the 2019 Open Championship). Charoenkul is a two-time winner on PGA TOUR China and was the ASEAN PGA TOUR Order of Merit winner in 2014 and 2016. Charoenkul represented Thailand at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and finished T45.
* Ryutaro Nagano, 34, played his way into his first U.S. Open and second major championship (he missed the cut at the 2021 Open Championship). The Japanese native finished T39 in the 2021 ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, his lone PGA TOUR appearance. Nagano made the turn to the back nine of his second round 7-under overall and carded four birdies on his way to the clubhouse to ensure a spot at Los Angeles Country Club.
-- Paul Hodowanic
Northwood Club and Bent Tree Country Club, Dallas, Texas; 120 players for 8 spots
Click here for final results
QUALIFIERS
Carson Young, 63-62--125
Austin Eckroat, 64-66--130
Brent Grant, 66-65--131
Paul Haley, 63-69--132
Sergio Garcia, 66-66--132
Roger Sloan, 67-65--132
x-Jacob Solomon, 66-67--133
x-Hank Lebioda, 68-65--133
ALTERNATES
1st: Michael Kim, 68-65--133
2nd: Brian Stark (a), 70-63--133
(x-advanced in playoff; (a)-amateur)
NOTABLES
* In a field that featured 13 TOUR winners, it was rookie Carson Young who topped them all, piling up birdie after birdie to finish 16-under and five shots clear of the second qualifier. Young birdied the last six holes of his first round then birdied six of his first eight holes in the second round, which began a run of 10 consecutive 3s between holes No. 4-13. Young has tallied three top-20 finishes on TOUR since the start of April and finished T3 earlier this season at the Puerto Rico Open. This will be Young’s first major championship appearance.
*Fresh of a T2 finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson, Austin Eckroat racked up 13 birdies and an eagle to nab a spot at Los Angeles Country Club. It’s the second time Eckroat has advanced out of qualifying to claim a U.S. Open spot. He advanced out of the same Dallas qualifier as an amateur in 2019. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He will enter his second major championship, and first as a professional, with plenty more experience on his side. He’s made three consecutive cuts and now has two top-5 finishes in his rookie season on TOUR.
*More than 12 years after turning professional, Paul Haley will get a crack at his first major championship. A 63 in the first round of qualifying set the tone for Haley, who was able to sneak out of a playoff with birdies on 15 and 16 to get to 9-under. Haley, 35, earned his card through the Korn Ferry Tour regular season standings a year ago, gaining status on TOUR for the first time since his rookie season in 2013. He finished T12 at the Fortinet Championship earlier this season.
* Hank Lebioda birdied his final five holes to sneak into a 5-for-2 playoff that he, alongside Jacob Solomon, advanced out of for the site’s final two spots. Lebioda was just 1-under for his round, 3-under overall, before he rattled off the string of birdies to earn a spot in his first major championship. Lebioda, 29, - Held a one-stroke lead after the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and went on to finish T15, his best result on TOUR since the 2021 Cadence Bank Houston Open
-- Paul Hodowanic
MAY 16
Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, England; 84 players for 7 spots
Click herefor final results
QUALIFIERS
Deon Germishuys, 66-68--134
David Horsey, 70-65--135
Wilco Nienaber, 69-66--135
Ross Fisher, 65-70--135
Matthieu Pavon, 68-68--136
Jens Dantorp, 68-68--136
Alejandro Del Rey, 68-68--136
ALTERNATES
1st: Jordan Gumberg, 68-69--137
2nd: Tom McKibbin, 65-72—137
NOTABLES
* Once as high as 17th in the world golf rankings, it’s been four years since Ross Fisher has appeared in a major. That will change in June as the 42-year-old Englishman grabbed one of the eight qualifying spots available at Walton Heath. It will be Fisher’s 33rd major appearance and first since the 2019 PGA Championship. Fisher, a five-time DP World Tour winner, will look to channel the form he found during the 2009 major season when he had the lowest cumulative score among players who made the cut at all four events. Fisher had a chance to win the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black until a three-putt par on the 17th hole sunk his chances. Later that summer he held a two-shot lead during the final round of the Open Championship at Turnberry but made a quadruple-bogey on the fifth hole and finished in a tie for 13th.
* Alejandro Del Rey, 25, and Jens Dantorp, 34, needed late birdies to sneak into their first U.S. Open appearances. Del Rey, a 2020 graduate from Arizona State, tallied three birdies over his last six holes, including on 16 and 17, to shoot up the leaderboard and qualify on the number. Del Rey won four times in college and is currently 73rd in the Race to Dubai. Dantorp, meanwhile, birdied the 18th hole to move out of a logjam at 7-under and into a qualifying spot. It will be Dantorp’s first major appearance since the 2018 Open Championship. He finished runner-up at the Soudal Open earlier this year and ranks 32nd in the Race to Dubai.
* Fourteen years since his last U.S. Open appearance, David Horsey, 38, will make his return after carding a second-round 65 to lock in a spot. It’s quite the reclamation story for the four-time DP World Tour winner who has struggled in recent years. His last win came in 2015. Horsey has fallen to 552nd in the world rankings after being as high as 77th. His last major appearance came at the 2017 Open Championship.
* A rookie on the DP World Tour this season, Deon Germishuys, 23, shot the low 36-hole score of the event. The South African native finished in the top 20 of the Challenge Tour a year ago to gain status to Europe’s top tour. He’s made nine of 14 cuts this season and carded his top-two finishes of the year over the last month, a T9 at the ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP and a T15 at the Soudal Open.
-- Paul Hodowanic