2006 U.S. Open Qualifiers
HOUSTON, TX (June 5, 2006)--Ryan Baca of Richmond and Ryan Posey of Dallas finished as co-medalists at 8-under 136 to advance to the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Country Club in Mamaroneck, NY.
A field of 33 professionals and amateurs arrived at Lakeside Country Club in Houston to compete for two spots into the championship. Those who entered included 1992 U.S. Open champion Tom Kite, 1995 PGA Champion Steve Elkington, and several current former PGA Tour players, club professionals, and amateurs.
Posey had the low round in the morning, a 7-under 65, to take the lead by one over Anthony Rodriguez of San Antonio and by two over Baca. However, Rodriguez faded with a 74 in the afternoon, and Baca's 69 and Posey's 71 got them to 8-under at 136, one stroke ahead of Ryan Murphy of Austin who had the low afternoon round of 67.
To advance to the Sectional qualifying round, Posey shot a 68 at the local qualifier held at Oklahoma City G&CC, earning medalist honors. Baca shot a 68 at the local qualifier held at Stonebridge Ranch G&CC in McKinney, TX to advance to the Sectional.
In all, 11 Texas amateurs advanced through Local qualifying to reach Sectionals, which were held at 13 sites in the U.S., with one in Japan and one in England. Trip Kuehne, the only amateur from Texas to compete in the 2005 U.S. Open, shot 68-73 to finish one out a playoff for the last spot in the Columbus, Ohio Sectional.
Baca, who has just finished his senior year at Baylor, won the Texas State Amateur in 2002 and 2003. Posey has just finished his junior year at Oklahoma State, and finished #1 in the amateurgolf.com
Texas Amateur Rankings for 2005.
Final results from U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying held at Lakeside Country Club in Houston, TX, June 5, 2006:
Places Available*: 2
A - Alternate
(a) - Amateur
WD - Withdrawal
Qualified for the U.S. Open
(a)Ryan Baca, Richmond, Texas 67-69-136
(a)Ryan Posey, Dallas, Texas 65-71-136
Failed To Qualify
A-Ryan Murphy, Austin, Texas 70-67-137
A-(a)Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela 69-70-139
A-Eric Bogar, Houston, Texas 70-69-139
A-Tom Kite, Austin, Texas 69-70-139
Anthony Rodriguez, San Antonio, Texas 66-74-140
Brad Lardon, Huntington, N.Y. 72-70-142
Brian Rowell, Houston, Texas 68-74-142
(a)Dawie Van Der Walt, Beaumont, Texas 71-71-142
(a)Andrew Dresser, Carrollton, Texas 72-71-143
Charleton Dechert, Pineville, La. 70-74-144
Jordan Hasbrouck, Spring, Texas 70-74-144
(a)Kevin Tway, Edmond, Okla. 70-74-144
Joey Zamora, Edinburg, Texas 71-73-144
Matthew Ballard, Australia 74-71-145
Vince Jewell, Ft Worth, Texas 69-76-145
Nathan Camacho, San Antonio, Texas 73-73-146
(a)Jonathan Lenz, San Antonio, Texas 73-73-146
(a)Charlie Stevens, Fort Worth, Texas 75-71-146
Tjaart Van Der Walt, South Africa 74-72-146
(a)Scott Fawcett, Dallas, Texas 76-71-147
Miguel Griego, Socorro, N.M. 71-76-147
(a)Addison Awe, Dallas, Texas 73-75-148
Brett Callas, Houston, Texas 75-73-148
Michael Kullberg, Houston, Texas 76-72-148
Henrik Simonsen, Bee Cave, Texas 77-72-149
Mark Johnson, Tulsa, Okla. 71-79-150
Jesse Schulte, Hutchinson, Kan. 77-73-150
Lonny Alexander, New Braunfels, Texas 75-76-151
(a)Weldon Martin, Houston, Texas 78-73-151
Steve Elkington, Australia WD
(a)Anthony Kim, Norman, Okla. WD
* The number of qualifiers' places in each location is determined by the USGA based on size and playing quality of the field.