One such story this year is the one of Ball State rising senior Timothy Wiseman. The week before U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying, Wiseman, from Corydon, Indiana was playing in the Indiana State Amateur but after not making it through a 12-for-8 playoff to make it to match play he was sent home a bit earlier then he would have liked.
Although he may not have accomplished his goals at his state amateur a different fate awaited him the following week. Wiseman completed the 36-holes of regulation play at Springfield Country Club in 2-under meaning he was headed for yet another playoff, this time a 3-for-2 playoff with a spot in the U.S. Open on the line. In the playoff all three players bogeyed the first extra hole before Wiseman advanced with a par on the second playoff hole.
So just days after losing out on a spot in the Indiana State Amateur he was a playoff winner and heading to the U.S. Open.
"It has been amazing, just all the fans, all the support," a smiling Wiseman said. "It has been incredible. The course is also incredible, the greens are starting to firm up and get a little faster so we are just trying to study them as much as we can."
Wiseman, a member of the 2018 MAC All-Tournament Team, becomes the eight Ball State player to compete in a major but the first to compete while still in school.
"I was struggling there for a little bit [at the state amateur] and I just went into the [U.S. Open] Sectional Qualifier with the mindset of nothing to lose, try to prove myself, try to stay patient, have faith in what I was doing and thankfully it worked out," said Wiseman who will tee off at 2:42 p.m. on Thursday off the 10th tee.