Next stop, Shinnecock Hills

A closer look at U.S. Open sectional qualifying

June 04, 2018

By PGATOUR.COM Staff

Entrants will endure 36 holes in a single day for the privilege of teeing it up next week at historic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

U.S. Open qualifying is one of the most unique days in golf. Myriad players – from FedExCup champions to club champions – will tee it up Monday with hopes of earning a starting time at the United States’ national championship. Entrants will endure 36 holes in a single day for the privilege of teeing it up next week at historic Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.

Qualifying for the U.S. Open represents an important opportunity for a PGA TOUR member. Besides the chance for a career-changing victory, the increased FedExCup points available at Shinnecock can help players make a big leap in the standings. The U.S. Open champion will earn 600 FedExCup points.

Xander Schauffele, last year’s PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, serves as a prime example. Schauffele squeaked into the field at Erin Hills after surviving a playoff in the Memphis, Tennessee, qualifier. He was 136th in the FedExCup when he arrived at the U.S. Open, in danger of missing the FedExCup Playoffs and losing his TOUR card.

Schauffele, who had just one top-10 in 19 previous TOUR starts, finished fifth in the U.S. Open. His impressive showing helped him win his first title three weeks later at The Greenbrier Classic.

“The U.S. Open was a huge moment in my career, it was one of the biggest stages and for me to be calm and collected throughout the week … was huge for me mentally,” Schauffele said. “It kind of gave me the confidence and allowed me to play and win this week.”

Schauffele won again at the TOUR Championship to finish third in the FedExCup.

Schauffele wasn’t the only player to impress at Erin Hills after advancing through sectional qualifying. Trey Mullinax finished ninth, the only top-10 of his rookie season on TOUR. He jumped from No. 143 to 112th in the FedExCup after Erin Hills. That’s the sort of leap that is possible in an event that offers so many FedExCup points.

The 82 points that Mullinax earned at Erin Hills were almost one quarter of his season-long tally. While he missed the FedExCup Playoffs, his U.S. Open finish allowed him to finish 137th in the standings and retain TOUR membership for this season. He has two top-10s in 2017-18, including a runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, to clinch his first spot in the FedExCup Playoffs.

Here’s a look at some of the players who will try to follow in their footsteps this year. Check back here Monday evening to see who successfully qualified for Shinnecock Hill. (Note: FedExCup ranking in parentheses; FedExCup ranking as of June 1; a-amateur; x-advanced in playoff)

WALTON HEATH GC

Walton on the Hill, Surrey, United Kingdom

120 players for 14 spots

"Beef" is headed back to America.

Andrew Johnston shot 65-69 to share medalist honors with James Morrison in the U.S. Open qualifier in England.

The U.S. Open will be Beef’s first start in the United States since The RSM Classic in November. He played the PGA TOUR in 2017 after earning his card through the Web.com Tour Finals, but finished 189th in the FedExCup standings.

The fan favorite finished T42 in last year’s U.S. Open.

Thorbjorn Olesen went to great lengths to make it into the field for Shinnecock Hills. Olesen won the Italian Open on Sunday, then flew to England for Monday’s 36-hole event. Olesen shot 67-71 to earn one of 14 spots available.

Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, 20, was the lone amateur to earn a spot in the U.S. Open. He is ranked 32nd in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

T1. Andrew Johnston, 65-69

T1. James Morrison, 67-67

T3. Matthew Southgate, 67-68

T3. Richie Ramsay, 65-70

T5. Scott Gregory, 67-69

T5. Ryan Fox, 65-71

T7. Tom Lewis, 68-69

T7. Matthieu Pavon, 68-69

T7. Matt Wallace, 67-70

T7. Jason Scrivener, 69-68

T7. Dean Burmester, 66-71

T12. a-Kristoffer Reitan, 69-69

T12. Thorbjorn Olesen, 67-71

14. x-Paul Waring, 64-75

1st. alt. Ryan Evans, 69-70 (added to field 6/11)

2nd. Alt. Aaron Rai, 73-66

BROOKSIDE G&CC/LAKES G&CC

Columbus, Ohio

Ireland’s Shane Lowry shared medalist honors at 9 under with South Korea’s Sungjae Im, who currently leads the Web.com Tour money list.

Lowry finished T2 at Oakmont in the 2016 U.S. Open.

Brian Gay joined Keegan Bradley at 8 under.

Michael Putnam rebounded from a 73 at Brookside with a blistering 64 at Lakes to join India’s Shubhankar Sharma, Scotland’s Russell Knox and fellow Americans Patrick Rodgers and William Zalatoris at 7-under.

Joining Scott at 6 under were Scottish amateur Ryan Lumsden, Americans Harold Varner III and Ollie Schniederjans and Australian compatriot Aaron Baddeley.

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am winner Ted Potter Jr. won a nine-man playoff for the first alternate position.

-- Ben Everill

T1. Sungjae Im, 67-68

T1. Shane Lowry, 68-67

T3. Keegan Bradley, 66-70

T3. Brian Gay, 68-68

T5. Michael Putnam, 73-64

T5. Shubhankar Sharma, 69-68

T5. Russell Knox, 66-71

T5. Patrick Rodgers, 70-67

T5. William Zalatoris, 70-67

T10. Harold Varner III, 66-72

T10. Ollie Schniederjans, 67-71

T10. Aaron Baddeley, 69-69

T10. a-Ryan Lumsden, 68-70

T10. Adam Scott, 66-72

1st alt. Ted Potter Jr., 69-70 (added to field 6/11)

2nd alt. Kevin Tway, 66-73

RIDGEWAY CC/COLONIAL CC (SOUTH)

Memphis, Tenn.

117 players for 11 spots

The last time Sam Burns qualified for the U.S. Open in Memphis, he had to get through a 6-for-2 playoff to make the field at Oakmont.

This time around wasn't nearly as stressful.

Burns shot 62 in the morning session at Ridgeway Country Club, closing out the round with three birdies and an eagle over his final five holes. From there, the 21-year-old continued to distance himself from the pack with eight birdies to finish at 15 under — good enough for medalist honors and his second trip to the U.S. Open.

"It's important to get momentum in these events and I felt like I did that early," Burns said. "The goal was 15 under and I hit that number. Saturday at [the Memorial Tournament] wasn't what I wanted, so I'm hoping this was a confidence-booster."

Mackenzie Hughes and Steve Stricker finished five back of Burns at 10 under. Stricker strung together seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the afternoon at Ridgeway to solidify his spot in next week's field. He'll return to Shinnecock for the first time since missing the cut in the 2004 edition.

"I chipped in twice from just off the green on back-to-back holes and that kind of set the tone," said Stricker, who qualified last year in Memphis for Erin Hills. "Just started making putts and then tried to hang on until the finish line, because you're tired and see the end in sight."

Ole Miss golfer Braden Thornberry was the only amateur to come out of the Tennessee sectional site. The 2017 NCAA champion fired 66 at Ridgeway and 68 at Colonial Country Club to punch his ticket at 9 under. Lanton Griffin, Scott Stallings, Tyler Duncan and Sebastian Vazquez also qualified.

Aaron Wise, Matt Jones and Eric Axley were forced to get through an 11-for-3 playoff to wrap up the last three automatic slots. Axley holed out from 159 yards for eagle while Wise and Jones made birdie.

"I knew it was going to be close," Axley said of the hole-out. "The first U.S. Open I ever played in was at Shinnecock in 2004, so it's really special to be going back again. To do it in that fashion was even more special."

-- Jonathan Wall

1. Sam Burns, 62-66

T2. Mackenzie Hughes, 66-67

T2. Steve Stricker, 68-65

T4. a-Braden Thornberry, 66-68

T4. Lanto Griffin, 65-69

T6. Scott Stallings, 68-67

T6. Tyler Duncan, 69-66

T6. Sebastian Vazquez, 66-69

T9. x-Aaron Wise, 66-70

T9. x-Matt Jones, 68-68

T9. x- Eric Axley, 66-70

1st. alt. Scott Piercy, 70-66 (added to field 6/11)

2nd alt. Seamus Power, 71-65



ANSLEY GC (SETTINDOWN CREEK)

Roswell, Georgia

43 players for 3 spots

Garrett Rank has spent the past four seasons as a National Hockey League referee.

Although the Ontario, Canada native maintains a busy summer schedule on the amateur circuit, his rounds of golf during the approximately seven-month hockey season fall in the single digits.

(When asked where he played golf during the 2017-18 NHL season, he named the four exact times and courses.)

Officials in any sport, though, must maintain a thick skin, and Rank wasn’t fazed by demanding conditions at Ansley GC (Settindown Creek) outside Atlanta in Monday’s U.S. Open sectional qualifier.

With 43 players vying for three spots, Rank calmly delivered with rounds of 71-71 to share medalist honors with Michael Hebert and earn a trip to Shinnecock Hills for his first U.S. Open.

“I’m really proud,” said Rank, who finished runner-up at the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur, 1 up to Nathan Smith, when a win would have provided a Masters berth.

“I’ve been at this amateur game for a long time. I was close in 2012 to playing in the Masters, and to play with the world’s best at the U.S. Open, it’s really humbling. I’m really proud and really honored.”

The second and third spots were earned by Hebert and Roberto Castro, both Ansley GC members and Web.com Tour members.

Hebert shot rounds of 70-72 to share medalist honors with Rank and earn a spot in his first major. With his parents, sister and daughter Cosette cheering him on for the final few holes (wife Rachel recuperated at home after weeks on the road), the Atlanta resident delivered with a 5-iron to 5 feet for birdie on the 33rd hole, and closed with three solid pars.

“The comfort factor of playing at my home course was awesome,” said Hebert, who stands No. 48 on the Web.com Tour money list. “That was definitely a huge blessing. Playing in my first major championship, it’s going to be a real thrill.”

Castro, who stands 13th on the money list, made birdie on the first playoff hole with a sand wedge to 10 feet. The Georgia Tech alum finished 1-under for 36 holes, tied with rising UNC-Greensboro senior Bryce Hendrix, who earned the first alternate spot from the site.

-- Kevin Prise

T1. a-Garrett Rank, 71-71

T1. Michael Hebert, 70-72

3. x-Roberto Castro, 74-69

1st alt. a-Bryce Hendrix, 76-67

2nd alt. Gene Sauers, 73-72

THE BEAR’S CLUB

Jupiter, Fla.

48 players for 3 spots

Luis Gagne, a junior at LSU, earned medalist honors by two shots over PGA TOUR player Richy Werenski. Werenski ranks 143rd in this season’s FedExCup, so a strong showing at Shinnecock could help him make a big leap in the standings.

Gagne was an All-American in his first two seasons at LSU and a quarterfinalist at the 2016 U.S. Amateur. He finished 24th in this season’s college rankings.

Tyler Strafaci, a sophomore at Georgia Tech, won a six-man playoff for the final spot at Shinnecock. He is the grandson of 1935 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Frank Strafaci. Tyler played on the PGA TOUR earlier this season at the Valspar Championship (75-76). Among those that he beat in the playoff were Cristian DiMarco, the son of former PGA TOUR player Chris DiMarco, and Andy Zhang, who played in the 2012 U.S. Open as a 14-year-old. DiMarco is the second alternate out of his site.

1. a-Luis Gagne, 68-70

2. Richy Werenski, 71-69

3. a/x-Tyler Strafaci, 71-70

1st alt. Nathan Stamey, 70-71

2nd alt. Cristian DiMarco, 68-73

SPRINGFIELD COUNTRY CLUB

Springfield, Ohio

65 players for 5 spots

Ohio State junior Will Grimmer earned medalist honors by a stroke over new pro Dylan Meyer. PGA TOUR winner Brian Stuard finished third. Stuard is 89th in this season’s FedExCup standings.

Meyer, who turned pro after last week’s NCAA Championship, had a decorated career at Illinois, where he was a first-team All-American in 2017. He won twice in his senior season and made the cut in the PGA TOUR’s Valspar Championship (T74).

Timothy Wiseman, a junior at Ball State, was ranked 724th in this year’s NCAA Division I rankings, but he’s in the U.S. Open after winning a playoff that included David Gazzolo and PGA TOUR player Corey Conners. Conners was named first alternate after failing to advance out of the 3-for-2 playoff.

1. a-Will Grimmer, 66-69

2. Dylan Meyer, 68-68

3. Brian Stuard, 66-71

T4. a/x-Timothy Wiseman, 68-70

T4. x-David Gazzolo, 69-69

1st alt. Corey Conners, 69-69

2nd alt. David Lutterus, 65-74

LAKE MERCED/OLYMPIC CLUB (OCEAN)

Daly City, Calif.

86 players for 5 spots

Four of the five spots in California went to amateurs, with Arizona State sophomore Chun An Yu leading the way by a shot over Shintaro Ban, who was a first-team All-American at UNLV this season.

BYU’s Rhett Rasmussen and Stanford’s Frankling Huang tied former PGA TOUR player Sung Joon Park for the final spots. Park tied for second in the 2015 CareerBuilderChallenge.

1. a-Chun An Yu, 65-70

2. a-Shintaro Ban, 67-69

T3. a-Rhett Rasmussen, 66-71

T3. a-Franklin Huang, 69-68

T3. Sung Joon Park, 67-70

1st alt. Edward Olson, 70-68

2nd alt. a-Tim Widing, 70-68

WOODMONT COUNTRY CLUB

Rockville, Md.

53 players for 4 spots

Sebastian Munoz, who ranks 11th on the Web.com Tour money list, earned medalist honors by two shots over former PGA TOUR player Tim Wilkinson.

The last two spots from Maryland were taken by amateurs. Cole Miller, runner-up in this year’s Big Ten Championship, recently finished his career at Penn State, where he was a four-time All-Region selection. Mickey DeMorat recently completed his senior season at Liberty. He also was a runner-up in his conference championship (Big South) and was an All-Region selection.

DeMorat won a three-man playoff that included PGA TOUR winner Billy Hurley III.

1. Sebastian Munoz, 67-69

2. Timothy Wilkinson, 68-70

3. a-Cole Miller, 70-69

4. a/x-Mickey DeMorat, 70-71

1st alt. Chase Wright, 74-67

2nd alt. Billy Hurley III, 72-69

CANOE BROOK CC

Summit, N.J.

81 players for 5 spots

Former NCAA champion Cameron Wilson shared medalist honors with Calum Hill. Wilson finished 108th on last year’s Web.com Tour money list.

Mike Miller shared third place with 2016 U.S. Mid-Am champ Stewart Hagestad, who was low amateur at the 2017 Masters.

Theo Humphrey, a first-team All-American this year at Vanderbilt, nabbed the last spot in a playoff. He was a semifinalist at last year’s U.S. Amateur.

T1. Cameron Wilson, 69-66

T1. Calum Hill, 67-68

T3. Mike Miller, 66-70

T3. a-Stewart Hagestad, 70-66

5. a/x-Theo Humphrey, 65-72

1st alt. Mark Hoffman, 72-65

2nd alt. Ryan Davis, 67-71

SHADOW HAWK GC

Richmond, Texas

52 players for 3 spots

A pair of LSU Tigers shared medalist honors in Texas.

Barbaree, a sophomore, won the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur. Bergeron recently completed his freshman year in Baton Rouge.

The third spot to Shinnecock went to Chris Naegel, who ranks 105th on the Web.com Tour money list. He beat Oklahoma junior Blaine Hale in a playoff.

T1. a-Jacob Bergeron, 64-69

T1. a-Philip Barbaree, 68-65

3. x-Chris Naegel, 69-65

1st alt. a-Blaine Hale Jr., 69-65

2nd alt. Dillon Rust, 65-70

PORTLAND GOLF CLUB

Portland, Ore.

81 players for 4 spots

Australia’s Lucas Hebert earned medalist honors by three strokes over Christopher Babcock.

Sulman Raza, who was teammates with Aaron Wise on Oregon’s 2016 NCAA title team, shared the final spot with Michael Block, one of the nation’s top playing club professionals. Block won the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship.

1. Lucas Hebert, 66-64

2. Christopher Babcock, 68-65

T3. a-Sulman Raza, 71-66

T3. Michael Block, 69-68

1st alt. Max Greyserman, 67-71

2nd alt. Brett Lederer, 71-67