It is called the longest day in golf, a name bearing affection, excitement, drama, and heartache. Ten U.S. Open sectionals were held on Monday, with invites to Pebble Beach on the line to 60 lucky individuals. To earn a trip to the Monterey Peninsula, players have to survive 36 holes and some of the stiffest competition the game has to offer. A sentiment underlined in Columbus, where half the field was comprised of Memorial tournament entrants.
Thirteen qualifier tickets had already been punched via regionals in Dallas and Japan. The Texas site produced notables such as 49-year-old former Masters winner Mike Weir, Web.com player Scottie Scheffler (the 22-year-old has already locked up his tour card for the 2019-20 season) and Oklahoma State’s Austin Eckroat, while half the Japanese field withdrew before completing their round.
RELATED: 2019 U.S. Open sectional qualifying scores
So which players will be teeing it up in California next week? Here is a round-up of Monday’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying.
(Note: This post will be updated as results come in.)
Walton Heath Golf Club (England)
South African Dean Burmester lapped the field in Surrey, his 16-under performance four strokes better than the nearest competitor. Burmester made the Open field last year at Shinnecock, finishing T-56.
Marus Frazier and Thomas Pieters are two familiar names to the American audience, while Daniel Hillier was the only amateur to make it out of this sectional. Perhaps Walton Heath is better noted for who didn’t make it, as Lee Westwood missed the cut, just the second time since 2007 he failed to qualify for the U.S. Open. Other players coming up short were Bernd Wiesberger, Ross Fisher and “Beef” Johnston.
Qualifiers: 1: Dean Burmester, Sam Horsfield, Marcus Fraser, Clement Sordet, Matthieu Pavon, Lee Slattery, Marcus Kinhult, Rhys Enoch, Adri Arnaus, Justin Walters, Daniel Hillier (a), Thomas Pieters, Merrick Bremner, Renato Paratore
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Century Country Club & Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.
The most popular firefighter in golf is back on one of its biggest stages. Former U.S. Mid-Am Champ Matt Parziale, who finished as the Low Am at Shinnecock, earned one of the four spots available at the Purchase venue, his one-over score good enough for T-2 with Andy Pope. Wake Forest’s Cameron Young took medalist honors at four under, while Rob Oppenheim beat Kelly Kraft in the second hole of sudden death to capture the final slot.
Teenager Garrett Engle missed the playoff by two shots. PGA Tour players Jim Herman and J.J. Henry also missed out.
Qualifiers: Cameron Young (a), Matt Parziale (a), Andy Pope, Rob Oppenheim.
Streamsong Resort, Streamsong, Fla.
It’s a good thing Florida isn’t suffering a heat wave, because the field at Streamsong could have burned the resort to the ground. Eleven under was the cut line, with Chile’s Guillermo Pereira the last man in. Callum Tarren took the top spot at 14 under, while amateur Luis Gagne finished second at 12 under.
Qualifiers: Callum Tarren, Luis Gagne (a), Guillermo Pereira