U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying: The Road to Erin Hills

June 1, 2017 | by Chris Brauner of AmateurGolf.com

A closer look at the ten qualifying sites and the amateur golfers that are 36 holes away from making the U.S. Open at Erin Hills

ERIN, WI (June 5, 2017) - U.S. Open Sectional qualifiers will be held Monday around the country with 980 players (including over 200 amateurs) competing over 36 holes for 97 spots into the championship at Erin Hills Golf Club.

Related: U.S. Local Qualifying Roundup

AmateurGolf.com takes a closer look at each of the ten qualifying sites, with the key professionals and amateurs to watch on one of the more grueling and competitive days of the year.


Collin Morikawa, Sean Crocker, Stewart Hagestad

Newport Beach, California results>

Courses: Big Canyon CC, Newport Beach CC
Field Size: 103 Amateurs: 44

Professionals to Watch:
Paul Goydos, Charlie Wi, Duffy Waldorf, Scott McCarron, Al Geiberger Jr., former Walker Cuppers Max Homa and Beau Hossler, former USGA champions David Berganio Jr. and Charlie Beljan

Amateurs to Watch:

John Oda, Honolulu, HI - Current World #5 who finished 8th in this week's NCAA Championship
Collin Morikawa, La Canada Flintridge, CA - Current World #3 who won the Southern Highlands Intercollegiate and last year's Sunnehanna Amateur
Cheng Jin, China - Competed in the 2016 Masters after winning the 2015 Asia-Pacific Amateur; won last year's Players Amateur
Sahith Theegala, Chino Hills, CA - World #13 and #3 in the 2017 California POY points race; quarterfinalist in last year's U.S. Amateur and made the cut in the PGA Tour's Genesis Open at Riviera
Shintaro Ban, San Jose, CA - The 2016 California Amateur champion who finished 3rd in the NCAA Central Regional and 6th in the Australian Master of the Amateurs
Norman Xiong, Canyon Lake, CA - Won the Mickelson Award as the nation's top college freshman while helping the University of Oregon reach the NCAA Championship final
Sean Crocker, Westlake Village, CA - World #5 who won last year's Monroe Invitational and this year's Italian Amateur, and was runner-up in the 2016 Northeast Amateur
Justin Suh, San Jose, CA - World #15 and #1 in the 2017 California POY points race; advanced from Sectional Qualifying last year and competed in the U.S. Open at Oakmont
K.K. Limbhasut, Thailand - World #30 who was runner-up in last year's Sunnehanna Amateur and made the final 16 at the U.S. Amateur
Cameron Champ, Sacramento, CA - World #19 who won last year's Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational and Patriot All-America
Stewart Hagestad, New York, NY - #3 ranked mid-amateur who won last year's U.S. Mid-Amateur and was the low amateur in the Masters


Cristobal del Solar, Andy Zhang, Joaquin Niemann

Tequesta, Florida results>

Course: Jupiter Hills Club
Field Size: 49 Amateurs: 20

Professionals to Watch:
Robert Allenby, Tyson Alexander (son of U.S. Amateur champion Buddy Alexander), two-time U.S. Open qualifier Sam Horsfield who recently turned pro after his sophomore season at the University of Florida

Amateurs to Watch:

Cristobal del Solar, Chile - World #24 who was runner-up in last year's Tailhade Cup and was third in the Monroe Invitational
John Vanderlaan, Southbury, CT - Helped Florida Southern University win the NCAA Division II Championship
Andy Zhang, China - Became the youngest quailfier in U.S. Open history five years ago at the age of 14; won last year's Azalea Amateur and was runner-up in the Canadian Amateur and Terra Cotta Invitational
Joaquin Niemann, Chile - #1 ranked player in the WAGR; runner-up in the South American Amateur and Latin America Amateur and made the final 16 in last year's U.S. Amateur and Western Amateur


Jimmy Stanger, Davis Love IV, Todd White

Ball Ground, Georgia results>

Course: Hawks Ridge Golf Club
Field Size: 36 Amateurs: 15

Professionals to Watch:
Tjaart Van Der Walt, Rhein Gibson

Amateurs to Watch:

Akshay Bhatia, Wake Forest, NC - 15 year old who made match play in this week's U.S. Four-Ball Championship
William Rainey, Charlotte, NC - Winner of the 2015 Rice Planters Amateur
Jimmy Stanger, Tampa, FL - World #8 who won the ACC Championship as well as last year's Southern Amateur and Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate
Viktor Hovland, Norway - World #30 who finished 8th in the NCAA Championship and was runner-up in last year's European Amateur
Alex Smalley, Wake Forest, NC - World #49 who was medalist in last year's U.S. Amateur and finished 3rd in the NCAA Southeast Regional
James Clark, Columbus, GA - Winner of the 2015 Eastern Amateur
Davis Love IV, Sea Island, GA - Winner of the 2015 Puerto Rico Classic; his father Davis Love III is attempting to advance from the Columbus, Ohio qualifier
Todd White, Spartanburg, SC - Former Walker Cupper who won the 2015 Azalea Invitational and 2015 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball; runner-up in this year's Azalea.

Rockville, Maryland results>

Course: Woodmont Country Club
Field Size: 50 Amateurs: 12

Professionals to Watch:
Jason Gore, Nicholas Thompson, Billy Hurley III

Amateurs to Watch:

Thomas Todd, Laurens, SC - Mid-Amateur who finished 3rd in the 2008 Palmetto Amateur


Nathan Smith, Bobby Leopold, Scott Harvey

Summit, New Jersey results>

Course: Canoe Brook Country Club
Field Size: 80 Amateurs: 30

Professionals to Watch:
Jim Herman, Daniel Chopra, 2007 U.S. Public Links runner-up Cody Paladino

Amateurs to Watch:

Nathan Smith, Pittsburgh, PA - Former Walker Cupper and five-time USGA champion (four U.S. Mid-Amateurs and one U.S. Four-Ball)
Bobby Leopold, Coventry, RI - Mid-Amateur who won last year's Crane Cup and made the round of 16 in the 2011 U.S. Amateur when it was played at Erin Hills
Lloyd Jefferson Go, Philippines - World #67 who finished 5th in the New Year's Invitational and 3rd in last year's Southern Amateur
Brian Carlson, Madison, CT - Had top 5 finishes in last year's Northeast Amateur and Monroe Invitational
Mike Dunham, Plymouth, MA - Former National Hockey League goaltender and 2002 Olympic silver medalist
Scott Harvey, Kernersville, NC - Former Walker Cupper and 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; #2 ranked mid-amateur who won the Coleman Invitational earlier this spring


Hugo Bernard, Scottie Scheffler, Derek Bard

Columbus, Ohio results>

Course: Brookside Golf & Country Club, The Lakes Golf & Country Club
Field Size: 120 Amateurs: 23

Professionals to Watch:
Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Luke Donald, K.J. Choi, Stewart Cink, Keegan Bradley, Ryo Ishikawa, Camilo Villegas, Bud Cauley, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, David Lingmerth, Martin Laird, Nick Watney, Kevin Streelman, D.A. Points, Ben Curtis, Alex Cejka, Danny Lee, Smylie Kaufman, Jason Kokrak, Sam Saunders, Johnson Wagner, Peter Uihlein, Cameron Tringale, Ricky Barnes, Harold Varner, Morgan Hoffman, Kevin Tway, Erik Compton, Ollie Schniederjans, Billy Mayfair, Curtis Luck, Patrick Cantlay

Amateurs to Watch:

Hugo Bernard, Canada - World #28 who won last year's Canadian Amateur, NCAA Division II Championship, and Orlando International Amateur
Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, TX - World #14 who finished 3rd in the NCAA Championship3rd in the NCAA Central Regional, and 2nd in the Big 12 Championship
Brad Wright, Dublin, OH - Mid-Amateur who was the runner-up in the 2009 Monroe Invitational
Derek Bard, New Hartford, NY - runner-up in the 2015 U.S. Amateur and winner of the 2015 Sunnehanna Amateur and Golf Club of Georgia Intercollegiate


Dylan Meyer, Doug Ghim, Zach Bouchou

Springfield, Ohio results>

Courses: Springfield Country Club
Field Size: 77 Amateurs: 35

Professionals to Watch:
Tony Finau, James Hahn, Zac Blair, former World #1 amateur Corey Conners of Canada

Amateurs to Watch:

Sammy Schmitz, Farmington, MN - Won the 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur
Dylan Meyer, Evansville, IN - The current #1 player in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Amateur Ranking who won the Big Ten Championship and last year's Western Amateur
Chandler Blanchet, Pensacola, FL - Won last week's NCAA Division II Championship
Doug Ghim, Arlington Heights, IL - World #6 who finished runner-up in the NCAA South South Central Regional and Big 12 Championship
Nick Carlson, Hamilton, MI - Semifinalist in the 2016 U.S. Amateur
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, IL - Won the 2016 U.S. Senior Championship and competed in multiple U.S. Senior Opens
Chase Hanna, Leawood, KS - Won the Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes earlier this spring
Nick Hardy, Northbrook, IL - World #30 who won the NCAA Central Regional and finished final 16 in last year's Western Amateur
Zach Bauchou, Forest, VA - World #10 who finished runner-up in the Querencia Cabo Intercollegiate and last year's Southern Amateur


Sam Burns, Braden Thornberry, Patrick Martin

Memphis, Tennessee results>

Courses: Germantown Country Club, Ridgeway Country Club
Field Size: 108 Amateurs: 29

Professionals to Watch:
Steve Stricker, Retief Goosen, Ian Poulter, Stuart Appleby, Spencer Levin, Ben Crane, Rory Sabbatini, Matt Jones, Harris English, Brian Gay, J.J. Henry, John Peterson, Chez Reavie, Shaun Micheel, Ken Duke, Robert Garrigus, Andrew Landry

Amateurs to Watch:

Sam Burns, Shreveport, LA - World #2 who won the NCAA Southeast Regional and last year's Western Refining College All-America; qualified for last year's U.S. Open at Oakmont
Braden Thornberry, Olive Branch, MS - Currently #1 in the 2017 World Player-of-the-Year points race; won this week's NCAA Championship and the Jones Cup Invitational earlier this spring
Dawson Armstrong, Brentwood, TN - World #49 who won the NCAA East Regional as well as the 2015 Western Amateur and Dogwood Invitational
Zachary Olsen, Cordova, TN - World #66 who finished runner-up at the Aggie Invitational and last year's Patriot All-America
Patrick Martin, Birmingham, AL - World #13 who finished runner-up in the SEC Championship, as well as last year's Northeast Amateur, Players Amateur, and Tavistock Invitational
Davis Riley, Hattiesburg, MS - World #45 who was a semifinalist in last year's Western Amateur


Mike McCoy, Will Zalatoris, Cole Hammer

Dallas, Texas results>

Courses: Lakewood Country Club
Field Size: 58 Amateurs: 22

Professionals to Watch:
Hunter Mahan, Woody Austin, Ryan Palmer, Steven Bowditch, Nick Flanagan, Martin Piller

Amateurs to Watch:

Braden Bailey, Groves, TX - Quarterfinalist in last year's Western Amateur and runner-up in the Southwestern Amateur
Brendon Jelley, Tulsa, OK - Winner of last year's John Hayt Collegiate Invitational
Mike McCoy, Des Moines, IA - Former Walker Cupper and 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion; winner of multiple Crump Cups, Coleman Invitationals, and George C. Thomas Invitationals
Will Zalatoris, Plano , TX - World #12 who won last year's Pacific Coast Amateur and Trans-Mississippi Championship
Philip Barbaree, Shreveport, LA - Runner-up in the 2016 South Beach International Amateur and the 2015 Trans-Mississippi Championship
Cole Hammer, Houston, TX - 17 year old who was runner-up in the Azalea Invitational and qualified for the U.S. Open in 2015


Hunter Ostrom, Corey Pereira, Cole Madey

Lakewood, Washington results>

Courses: Tacoma Country & Golf CLub
Field Size: 70 Amateurs: 15

Professionals to Watch:
Tyler McCumber, former World #1 ranked amateur Aaron Wise, former Walker Cuppers Jordan Niebrugge, Lee McCoy, Robert Shelton IV and Hunter Stewart.

Amateurs to Watch:

Hunter Ostrom, Eagle, ID - Qualified on Mother's Day with his mother caddying for him
Corey Pereira, Cameron Park, CA - World #44 who won the Querencia Cabo Intercollegiate, the 2015 Sahalee Players Championship, and the 2014 Pacific Coast Amateur
Brian Humphreys, Washougal, WA - Won the Mountain West Championship earlier this spring
Cole Madey, West Linn, OR - Won the 2014 Pacific Northwest Amateur and finished 9th in the Pac 12 Championship

INTERNATIONAL

Japan (completed 5/22) results>

England (completed 5/29) results>

Results: U.S. Open Final Qualifying

Place	Player	Location	Pts
Medalist	John Oda	Honolulu, HI	500
Medalist	Alex Smalley	Wake Forest, NC	500
Qualifier	Mason Andersen	Chandler, AZ	400
Qualifier	Stewart Hagestad	Newport Beach, CA	400
Qualifier	Sahith Theegala	Chino Hills, CA	400

View full results for U.S. Open Final Qualifying

About the U.S. Open Final Qualifying

U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying: The Road to Erin Hills

Final qualifying for the U.S. Open Championship. Played at various sites across the U.S. on the Monday a week and half before the U.S. Open. There is also a qualifier in Japan and in England. 36 holes of stroke play at each site.