Sectional Qualifying Roundup: Stricker Going Back to U.S. Open

Sectional Qualifying Results   U.S. Open Tickets

The Bear’s Club, Jupiter, Fla. (48 players for 3 spots)

• Qualifiers: Amateur Luis Gagne of Costa Rica, at 6-under 138; PGA Tour professional Richy Werenski of West Palm Beach, Fla., at 4-under 140; and amateur Tyler Strafaci of Davie, Fla., at 2-under 141
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: Robert Allenby of Australia, who has played in 15 U.S. Opens; Jack Maguire of St. Petersburg, Fla., a two-time Open qualifier; Eric Cole of Delray Beach, Fla., whose father Bobby Cole played in seven U.S. Opens and whose mother, Laura Baugh, played in 14 U.S. Women’s Opens.
  
  
• Medalist: Gagne, 20, carded rounds of 68-70 for a total of 138 to medal by two strokes to earn a spot at Shinnecock Hills. Gagne bogeyed holes 15 and 16 of his second round, but finished up his day with a birdie from 10 feet on the 18th hole.
  
  
• Quotable: “It’s just a dream come true to play with those guys at the Open,” said Gagne, 20, who grew up in Orlando, Fla., and just finished his junior year at Louisiana State. “This is my second year [trying to qualify]. Last year, I tried at Jupiter Hills and didn’t play that well, but obviously this year, I played a little better.”
  
  
• Gagne advanced into the Jupiter sectional qualifier from the local qualifier in Orlando by a coin toss, which he won over Cristian DiMarco – who got into the field as the first alternate.
  
  
• Gagne played in the 2012 Florida State Amateur at The Bear’s Club when he was 14. He was the youngest player in the field and made the cut.
  
  
• Quote: Richy Werenski finished second and earned his ticket to the Open after 36 holes that included 10 birdies, 8 bogeys and one eagle. “It feels good and it’s my first one ever,” said Werenski, a PGA Tour member who tied for 23rd in the 2018 Players Championship and just completed a stretch of seven consecutive tournaments. “It’s definitely a dream of mine. I’ve probably tried to qualify three or four times.”
  
  
• Quote: Tyler Strafaci earned the third spot into the Open after a two-hole playoff. “I’m 19 years old and playing a U.S. Open,” said Strafaci, whose brother Trent carried his bag. “That’s just unreal.”
  
  
• On playoff hole No. 1, Strafaci made birdie from 3 feet and moved to the second hole with Nathan Stamey. Stamey had a 40-foot uphill putt that came up 4 feet short of the hole. He missed the par save.
  
  
• Strafaci had a 50-foot putt on the second hole that rolled about 10 feet left of the hole, which he drained to save par. “I had that second putt twice in a row in regulation – the same putt, from about 10 feet,” said Strafaci, a junior at Georgia Tech, who was playing in his first sectional qualifier. “So I knew it was in as soon as I hit it.”
  
  
• Highlights: Two aces were recorded in the morning round at The Bear’s Club. Jack Maguire carded a hole-in-one on the 185-yard 16th hole, while Cristian DiMarco used an 8-iron to ace the 165-yard seventh hole.
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: Robert Allenby of Australia, who has played in 15 U.S. Open Championships; Jack Maguire of Saint Petersburg, Fla., a two-time Open qualifier; Eric Cole of Delray Beach, Fla., whose father Bobby Cole played in seven U.S. Opens and whose mother, Laura Baugh, played in 14 U.S. Women’s Open Championships.
  
  
• Quote: PGA Tour winner Chris DiMarco, regarding caddying for his son Cristian DiMarco, at the Jupiter Open qualifier: “When I’m out there, I’m just his caddie. Ultimately, he knows his game better than I do. I give him numbers and give him some advice here and there and maybe help read a putt."
  
  
• Didn’t Hang Around:  A total of 48 players started today’s Jupiter qualifier, but eight of them did not complete the 36 holes, including four-time PGA European Tour winner Alex Cejka of Germany, who posted a 1-over 73 in his morning round, and Sam Saunders of Atlantic Beach, Fla., who opened with a four-over 76. Saunders is the grandson of the late World Golf Hall of Famer Arnold Palmer.
   

Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga. (43 players for 3 spots)

• Qualifiers: Garrett Rank, Canada; Michael Hebert, Atlanta, Ga.; Roberto Castro, Atlanta, Ga.
  
  
• Key Fact: Castro earned the final spot by making a 12-foot birdie putt to defeat Bryce Hendrix in a 2-for-1 playoff
  
  
• Home Cooking: Two of the three qualifiers at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek Course had a distinct advantage on Monday as they are members of the club. Roberto Castro and Michael Hebert took full advantage of their local knowledge. Castro, a Georgia Tech alumnus who makes his home in Atlanta, joined in 2014, while Hebert has called it is home course for more than a year.
  
  
• Golf's Ultimate Test a Familiar One: 2018 will mark the fifth time since 2012 that Roberto Castro plays in the U.S. Open, and fourth time in five years. He has missed the cut in all four of his previous starts. Hebert and Rank will make their U.S. Open debuts at Shinnecock Hills.
  
  
• Notable Non-Qualifiers: 2016 U.S. Senior Open champion Gene Sauers, 2017 co-medalists Alex Smalley and Stephan Jaeger, two-time PGA Tour winner Jason Bohn, Tadd Fujikawa (was youngest player to qualify for U.S. Open at the time when he qualified in 2006 at age 15)
  
  
• True Grit: Bryce Hendrix ended up falling just short in his bid to play in his first U.S. Open, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. After opening with a 76 on Monday, Hendrix, who plays golf for UNC Greensboro, battled back with a 5-under 67 in the afternoon, including a 32 on his inward nine, to earn a spot in the playoff.
  
  
• Anything But Rank and File: Co-medalist Garrett Rank is an amateur golfer who spends most of his time officiating. Rank, 30, is a full-time National Hockey League referee who recently worked three postseason games as well as 73 regular-season games. The U.S. Open rookie was runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur, and he got his Monday off to a memorable start with two eagles in his first eight holes, one of them by holing out from 141 yards. The Canada native posted a pair of 71s to share medalist honors with Michael Hebert. His caddie was fellow NHL referee Daniel O'Rourke.
  
  
• Quotable: “I’ve never played well [in the U.S. Open], so I’m going to do the Costanza and try to do the opposite of what i’ve always done. It is a really true test. It’s exciting, it’s tough, and it humbles even the best players in the world.” -- Castro
  
  
• Michael Hebert, on qualifying for the U.S. Open at his home course: “It was a lot of fun to play in front of my friends and the members here. They were really encouraging and a lot of them showed up, so it was a lot of fun. I’m really glad they were here. It was a fun place to do it, for sure.”
  
  
• Garrett Rank, on qualifying for his first U.S. Open: “I’m just really proud of all the hard work and the dedication and time you put into the game. There will be a lot of really proud people back in Elmira (Canada). I just can’t thank people at home enough. My dad passed away a few years ago, and he’d be really jazzed to be there.”
  
  
• Bryce Hendrix, on his second-round 67 that got him into a playoff: “I knew I needed to put a low round together, so I just started firing at everything. No matter where the pin was I went after it because I knew I had to shoot something low and I had nothing to lose.”

Brookside Golf & C.C./The Lakes Golf & C.C., Columbus, Ohio (120 players for 14 spots)

• Qualifiers: Shane Lowry, Sungjae Im, Keegan Bradley, Brian Gay, Michael Putnam, Will Zalatoris, Adam Scott, Aaron Baddeley, Ryan Lumsden, Harold Varner, Ollie Schneiderjans, Russell Knox, Patrick Rodgers, Shubankhar Sharma
   

• Notable non-qualifiers: Patton Kizzire, three-time USGA champion Ryan Moore, 2008 U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee, three-time major champion Vijay Singh, 2011 U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft, Andrew Landry, 2016 U.S. Amateur champion Curtis Luck, 2015 Walker Cup competitor Beau Hossler, 2018 Latin America Amateur champion Joaquin Niemann
   

• Shane Lowry, of Ireland, who held the 54-hole lead at Oakmont in 2016, was co-medalist with Sungjae Im of Korea at 9-under 135. Lowry, 31, ended up T-2 at Oakmont Country Club in 2016. Im, 20, leads the Web.com Tour money list with a win and two second-place finishes this year.
   

• Former PGA champion Keegan Bradley, 31, of Woodstock, Vt., tied for third place with PGA Tour veteran Brian Gay, 46, at 8-under 136. Bradley will make his seventh U.S. Open appearance.
   

• Web.com Tour player Michael Putnam qualified for his sixth U.S. Open and his fourth via sectional qualifying – all in Columbus – with a second-round 8-under 64 at The Lakes, the low round of the day. Putnam, 35, played in the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in his hometown of University Place, Wash.
   

• Will Zalatoris, 21, the 2014 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, qualified for his first U.S. Open with a 7-under 137 total. He turned professional in December, a few months after the USA Walker Cup Team's 19-7 victory at The Los Angeles C.C.
   

• Australia’s Adam Scott, 37, the 2013 Masters champion, competed in a sectional qualifier for the first time and carded 138. This will be his 17th consecutive U.S. Open appearance.
   

• Aaron Baddeley, 37, of Australia returns to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2014 after shooting a pair of 69s for a 138 total. This will be Baddeley’s 10th U.S. Open. He was the 54-hole leader in the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
   

• Northwestern junior Ryan Lumsden, an All-Big Ten Conference selection, birdied two of his last three holes, including a 30-footer on his last at The Lakes, to earn his first U.S. Open berth. 
   

• Harold Varner, 27, an Akron, Ohio native now living in Gastonia, N.C., made it to his second U.S. Open five years after his first in 2013 at Merion.
   

• Ollie Schneiderjans, 24, of Alpharetta, Ga., qualified for his second U.S. Open. His first was in 2015 after he ended the previous year as the world’s top-ranked amateur.
   

• Russell Knox, 32, of Scotland, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, birdied four of his last five holes to qualify for his fourth U.S. Open.
   

• Patrick Rodgers, 25, of Avon, Ind., qualified for his second U.S. Open and second time through the Columbus sectional. A two-time Walker Cup player, Rodgers tied for 46th at Oakmont in 2016.
   

• Shubankhar Sharma of India, ranked 77th in the Official World Golf Ranking, qualified for his first U.S. Open. He competes primarily on the Asian Tour. He made his major championship debut at the Masters, where he missed the cut.
   

• Alternates: Ted Potter Jr. earned the first-alternate spot in a nine-man playoff. Kevin Tway, the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, was the second alternate.
   

• Quote from medalist Sungjae Im: “Last year in Japan I missed the cut in a playoff. I played hard and did my best. I am so excited. I will play my best and my goal will be to make the cut.”
   

• Quote from co-medalist Shane Lowry: “This is definitely a step in the right direction. I made nine birdies today and no bogeys, and I’m looking forward to going back to a proper U.S. Open venue. Oakmont, obviously, I played great there, an old-school venue, and Shinnecock is another great one.”
   

• Quote from Keegan Bradley: “The fun part is making it. It’s humbling to come out here. I got off to a bad start in my second round and I had to battle my way around.” 
   

• Quote from Adam Scott: “Today was a bit of a grind but somehow I’ve snuck through. The form has been coming around so if I can have a nice week preparing and get myself in shape I am really looking forward to Shinnecock – it is one of my favorite venues so I am really happy to be there.”
   

• Quote from Will Zalatoris: “I left a ton out there. I putted horrendously this morning [at The Lakes] but I just stayed patient and I kept giving myself chances and I capitalized on enough of them. I’m excited to be playing in my first U.S. Open. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of and I’m looking forward to seeing Shinnecock.”
   

• Withdrawals: There were 11 withdrawals prior to the start of the competition. Among them were Emiliano Grillo (ranked 50th in the world and nearly assured of making the field), Kevin Na, Maverick McNealy, K.J. Choi, William McGirt, Sean O’Hair and Bud Cauley. Cauley was involved in a serious automobile accident Friday night in Columbus after missing the cut at the Memorial Tournament. Cauley sustained five broken ribs and a fractured lower left leg.

Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md. (53 players for 4 spots)

• Qualifiers: Sebastian Munoz, Tim Wilkinson, Cole Miller and Mickey DeMorat
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: PGA Tour winners Billy Hurley III and Jason Gore, reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion Sean Knapp, and past USA Walker Cup competitors Denny McCarthy and Edward Loar
  
  
• Chase Wright and Hurley III, a past U.S. Open qualifier and USA Walker Cup competitor, are the first and second alternates, respectively.
  
  
• Munoz was the medalist with an 8-under total of 136. This will be the first U.S. Open start for the 2016 Club Colombia Championship winner on the Web.com Tour, who owns three top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour in 2018
  
  
• Quotable: “It feels fantastic. I am proud of myself for finishing the job and really excited to be going to Shinnecock.” – Munoz
  
  
• Wilkinson made a hole-in-one on the 167-yard sixth hole with an 8-iron during his afternoon round. This will be his second U.S. Open start. His wife has caddied for him in each of his two successful qualifying attempts. Wilkinson join left-handers Brian Harman, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and qualifier Cameron Wilson at Shinnecock Hills.

• Miller birdied his 36th hole (No. 9) to secure his spot. He pulled his tee shot 20 yards left and it bounced off the cart path into the middle of the fairway. He hit a wedge from 108 yards to 2 feet and made the birdie putt.
  
  
• Won six collegiate tournaments at Penn State, and he won the 2016 Pennsylvania Amateur.
  
  
• Quotable: “I’m very excited. It’s been a dream of mine to play in the U.S. Open … and my dream came true.” – Miller

• DeMorat birdied his 36th hole (No. 18) to earn a spot in a 3-for-1 playoff. He parred two playoff holes (Nos. 8 and 9) to defeat Billy Hurley III and Chase Wright and earn the final spot.
  
  
• DeMorat graduated from Liberty University and will celebrate his 23rd birthday on the first day of the U.S. Open (June 14)
  
  
• Quotable: “It’s going to be a great experience. I’m really looking forward to playing against the best players in the world. This is going to be really special.” – DeMorat
  
  
• Miller and DeMorat are the first amateurs to advance from the Woodmont sectional since Denny McCarthy in 2015.
   

Canoe Brook Country Club (North and South Courses), Summit, N.J. (81 players for 5 spots)

• Qualifiers: Calum Hill, Cameron Wilson, Michael Miller, Stewart Hagestad (a), Theo Humphrey (a)
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: PGA Tour winners Johnson Wagner and Dudley Hart, European Tour winner Steve Allan, past U.S. Mid-Amateur champions Scott Harvey (2014) and Michael McCoy (2013) and Web.com Tour winner Rob Oppenheim
  
  
• Humphrey, a 2017 U.S. Amateur semifinalist from Greenwich, Conn., who just completed his eligibility at Vanderbilt, garnered the final spot in a 2-for-1 playoff with Mark Hoffman. Humphrey made par on the first playoff hole to Hoffman’s bogey. Hoffman bogeyed his final hole of the sectional to fall into the playoff.
  
  
• This will be the second consecutive U.S. Open appearance for Hagestad, who made the cut in the 2017 Masters and played on the victorious 2017 USA Walker Cup Team.
  
  
• Hagestad rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on his 36th hole – No. 9 on the South Course – to avoid the playoff for the final spot and post 6-under 136.
  
  
• It will be the third U.S. Open for Wilson, the 2014 NCAA individual champion from Stanford, and the second for Miller.
  
  
• This was only the third competitive round of the year for Wilson, who has no status on any professional tour. The last time he was at Shinnecock was the 2004 U.S. Open when he assisted the USGA.
  
  
• Hill’s original sectional qualifying site of choice was Walton Heath, but the site was full, so he chose Canoe Brook. The Scottish-born golfer had never been to New Jersey before. Hill played his college golf at NCAA Division II Western New Mexico and has spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant while pursuing his MBA.
  
  
• Hill birdied three of his last four holes on the North Course to share medalist honors, converting an 18-foot birdie putt on his final hole to complete a 4-under-par 68.
  
  
• Quotable: “Walton Heath was full because it’s all the European Tour guys. They had 141 entrants and only 120 spots and I was 141st on the list. I talked with my parents and they thought it would be a good experience [to come to N.J.]. So I brought my teammate Harry [Wetton] to be my caddie. It’s been fun.” – Hill
  
  
• Quotable: “I have never played [Shinnecock Hills], but I’ve heard you need to find fairways. But like I said, just expect the unexpected at the U.S. Open. I can’t wait. I’m definitely going to be looking for some tickets for family (he’s from Brewster, N.Y.). And I’m definitely going to be looking for a place to stay. Hopefully we can get that all done and have a great week.” – Miller
  
  
• Quotable: “Gosh, what a dream come true…Last year was really unique. The opportunity to have sectionals at your home course (Big Canyon C.C. in Newport Beach, Calif.) was really [special] … and I put a lot of internal pressure on myself. But to come back here and have friends [watch] is cool. I love the MGA (Metropolitan Golf Association) and this style of golf. It’s just a dream to come out and play the way I played today.” – Hagestad
  
  
• Quotable: “Honestly, I’m pretty relieved. I had to wait around an hour and a half to see what my fate was going to be and luckily I had a chance to play some more golf and made a solid par… It’s really the worst when it’s out of your control. When you are just sitting and hoping other people play poorly, that’s never a fun game.” – Humphrey 

Ridgeway C.C./Colonial C.C., Memphis, Tenn. (117 players for 11 spots)

• Qualifiers: Sam Burns, Mackenzie Hughes, Steve Stricker, Braden Thornberry (a), Lanto Griffin, Scott Stallings, Tyler Duncan, Sebastian Vasquez, Aaron Wise, Matthew Jones, Eric Axley
  
  
• Notable Non-Qualifiers: Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, PGA Tour winner Rory Sabbatini, 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, 2016 U.S. Amateur runner-up Brad Dalke, 2003 PGA champion Shaun Micheel, 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur champion and PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan, and past USA Walker Cup competitors J.B. Holmes and Billy Horschel
  
  
• Highlight: There was an 11-for-3 playoff among players at 7-under 136 that lasted only one hole (the par-4 10th hole at Ridgeway). The groups went off in 4-4-3; in the first group, Aaron Wise made a 25-foot birdie putt; in the second group, Matt Jones made a 6-foot birdie putt; and in the last group, Eric Axley holed an approach shot from 159 yards for an eagle 2 to claim the final spot.
  
  
• Going Low: Sam Burns tied a Ridgeway course record with his first-round 62. It was also the fifth-lowest score ever shot in U.S. Open sectional qualifying. He followed it up with a 66 at Colonial to shoot 15-under 128 and take medalist honors.
  
  
• Home Cooking: Two qualifiers – Scott Stallings and Eric Axley – are Tennesseans (both from Knoxville), and amateur Braden Thornberry, a member of the victorious 2017 USA Walker Cup Team and 2017 NCAA champion, is from 30 minutes away in Olive Branch, Miss.
  
  
• Return to Shinnecock: Two of the qualifiers – Steve Stricker and Eric Axley – have competed in at least one U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Stricker tied for 13th in 1995 and missed the cut in 2004, and Axley made his U.S. Open debut in 2004 (missed cut).
  
  
• Quotable: Sam Burns: “I’ve played here (Ridgeway) the last few years so I feel really comfortable on this golf course. After I made birdie on 14 and eagle on 15, I knew I had it going and really just rode the momentum.” Burns added, “The No. 1 thing for me playing my first U.S. Open as a professional is how I prepare for the golf course. I’ll go up there and really study the golf course. I’m going to go home for a few days and then probably head up to Shinnecock on Saturday.”
  
  
• Steve Stricker: “I really hung in there. Knowing it’s a long race today, I reminded myself to stay as patient as I could. Plus, I putted really well, and holed out a couple chip shots, which you don’t expect to make. So I had some good things go my way and then held on the rest of the way.” On returning to Shinnecock to compete in his 21st U.S. Open: “It’s a treat to make it through and to go on and play at Shinnecock will be special. At 51, I still believe I belong in a U.S. Open field. So I guess that’s half the battle. I’m very happy to move on and hopefully play well next week.”
  
  
• Mackenzie Hughes: “Focus is the biggest thing on a 36-hole day like this. It’s a long day, and I did a good job staying focused and not allowing any mental lapses. I only had two bogeys, so that was great.” On the U.S. Open examination: “Any round at a U.S. Open almost seems like it’s two rounds, because of the grind that it is. So it’s almost like today. It’s quite simple – you have to hit fairways and hit greens. In my only other U.S. Open, at Merion, I just missed too many fairways. So if I can keep my drives in the fairway I hope to play well.”
   

Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio (65 players for 5 spots)

• Qualifiers: Will Grimmer (a), Dylan Meyer, Brian Stuard, Timothy Wiseman (a) and David Gazzolo
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: 2017 U.S. Amateur champion Doc Redman; PGA Tour winner James Hahn, 2014 U.S. Amateur runner-up Corey Conners and PGA Tour/Web.com Tour player Zac Blair
  
  
• Grimmer, an Ohio State golfer, earned medalist honors with scores of 66-69 for a 5-under total of 135. This will be Grimmer’s second U.S. Open start, having played in 2014 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2.
  
  
• This will be the first U.S. Open start for University of Illinois All-American Dylan Meyer and amateur Timothy Wiseman. Meyer was a quarterfinalist in the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club. He also won the 2016 Western Amateur.
  
  
• Meyer turned professional two days before the sectional qualifier after competing in the NCAA Championships last week in Stillwater, Okla. He had completed his eligibility.
  
  
• Wiseman, David Gazzolo and Corey Conners played off for the final two positions and first alternate. Conners was eliminated on the second hole.
  
  
• Wiseman will be a senior at Ball State this fall. By qualifying for the U.S. Open, Wiseman also earns an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Amateur in August at Pebble Beach.
  
  
• Quotable: “I had a great putting day; had no three putts.” – Grimmer

Shadow Hawk Golf Club, Richmond, Texas (52 players for 3 spots)

• Qualifiers: Jacob Bergeron, 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Philip Barbaree and Chris Naegel
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: 2007 U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera, PGA Tour winner Steven Bowditch, 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Matthew Wolff, 2017 USA Walker Cup competitor and 2017 U.S. Open qualifier Cameron Champ and 2015 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Sammy Schmitz
  
  
• Blaine Hale Jr. and Dillon Rust are the first and second alternates, respectively
  
  
• Naegel defeated Hale Jr. in a one-hole playoff for the third and final qualifying spot.
  
  
• Louisiana State University teammates Bergeron and Barbaree were the co-medalists at 11-under 133.
  
  
• Quotable: “I’d like to be optimistic and say I won’t be nervous on the first tee at Shinnecock Hills. But I know I’m going to be really nervous. It’s going to be a great experience for me to test myself against the best players in the world on a great setup.” – Bergeron
  
  
• Quotable: “I can barely feel my legs. This really hasn’t sunk in at all. It’s a dream come true to play in the U.S. Open.” – Barbaree 
  
  
• This will be the first U.S. Open start for Bergeron and Barbaree
  
  
• Barbaree birdied the final two holes to qualify
  
  
• Barbaree won the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and set a championship record for largest comeback. He rallied from 5 down with eight holes to play to beat Andrew Orischak in 37 holes at Colleton River in Bluffton, S.C.
   

Olympic Club (Ocean Course) and Lake Merced Golf Club (86 players for 5 spots)

• Qualifiers: Chun An Yu, Shintaro Ban, Rhett Rasmussen, Franklin Huang, Sung Joon Park
  
  
• Notable Non-Qualifiers: 2014 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Byron Meth, Todd and Andy Miller, the sons of 1973 U.S. Open champion Johnny Miller, Thomas Lehman Jr., the son of 1986 Open Championship winner Tom Lehman, past USA Walker Cup competitors Colin Morikawa and Max Homa, Al Geiberger Jr., the son of past PGA champion Al Geiberger, PGA Tour winner Kevin Sutherland, and multi-U.S. Open qualifier and Northern California amateur veteran Jeff Wilson.
  
  
• Chun An Yu shot 65-70–135 to lead the way. Yu, 20, will enter his junior year at Arizona State in the fall. “I just hit everything well. I put the ball in the fairway, and gave myself chances to make birdie. I just tried to focus on each shot, not get too far ahead of myself.” On getting into U.S. Open: “It’s really exciting. Playing in a U.S. Open has always been one of my goals.”
  
  
• Shintaro Ban (67-69–136) is a recent UNLV grad and a first team All-American; the 2016 Northern California Golf Association Player of the Year holed out for eagle on the par-4 sixth hole at Olympic Club (sand wedge from 100 yards), then went birdie-birdie. “That run helped a lot with momentum. Before that I was just battling.”
  
  
• Rhett Rasmussen, 19, a junior at Brigham Young, shot 66-71–137. “I got off to a hot start. To be honest, on the second 18 I didn’t play my best, but I was able to hold it together.”
  
  
• Franklin Huang of Poway, Calif., who just completed his senior year at Stanford, shot a bogey-free 68 at Ocean Course in the afternoon in windy conditions to earn a spot.
  
  
• Sung Joon Park, a pro from the Republic of Korea, shot 67-70 to capture the fifth available spot. Park has one win on the Japan Golf Tour.
  
  
• 1996 British Open winner Tom Lehman caddied for his son, Thomas Lehman, of Scottsdale, Ariz.
  
  
• Quotable: Shintaro Ban, who made three birdies in the afternoon at Lake Merced along with a closing eagle on the par-5 18th, despite strong winds. “I like to play in tough conditions. This is an exciting time.” His brother, Shotaro, won the 2015 California Amateur at Lake Merced.

Portland Golf Club, Portland, Ore. (81 players for 4 spots)

• Qualifiers: Lucas Herbert, Christopher Babcock, Sulman Raza (a) and Michael Block
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir; 2015 USA Walker Cup competitor Hunter Stewart; 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Jack Newman; Gipper Finau, the younger brother of 2018 U.S. Open competitor Tony Finau; 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Charlie Beljan; Tyler McCumber, the son of PGA Tour winner Mark McCumber; 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up Chelso Barrett and 2017 U.S. Open qualifier Derek Barron
  
  
• Raza is a former University of Oregon player who clinched the winning point at Eugene Country Club in the Ducks’ 2016 national-championship season
  
  
• Block, the head professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course in Southern California, won the 2014 PGA National Professional Championship and played in the 2014 PGA Championship
  
  
• Quotable: “It was a good day ... I felt like I wasn’t quite sure where the ball was going, but managed to really execute shots well and stick to the process really well. I was really happy the way I closed it out, to shoot 4 under on the back nine when it was at that place where you could easily lose a couple of shots and all of a sudden get worried.” – Herbert
  
  
• Herbert on qualifying: “I’m really excited to see what Shinnecock is like. I’ve heard so many good things about it. I’m really looking forward to it and looking forward to testing myself against the best in the world.”
  
  
• Quotable: “I’ve been wanting to qualify for the U.S. Open for quite a while. I’ve had some chances, and this is my third time [attempting to qualify].” – Raza
  
  
• Raza on his strong finish: “I talked about it with my caddie … I was forward-pressing my putter a little bit, and I was leaving a lot of putts to the right. I missed a lot of short putts in the first round. I think I three-putted three or four times … it seemed like such a simple fix and seemed to work out quite well.”
  
  
• Notable happening: Chad McCann had a hole-in-one on No. 4 (his 22nd hole of the day) with a pitching wedge from 132 yards out.

May 21

Japan Memorial Golf Club, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan (33 players for 3 spots)

• Qualifiers: Shota Akiyoshi (Japan), David Bransdon (Australia) and Wenchong Liang (People’s Republic of China)
  
  
• Akiyoshi was medalist, posting rounds of 69-65 for a 36-hole total of 8-under 134
  
  
• This will be the first U.S. Open start for Akiyoshi and Bransdon
  
  
• Liang is making his third U.S. Open start after missing the cut in 2014 and 2015
  
  
• Liang became the first player from China to make a cut in a major championship, the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale
  
  
• Liang shot a course-record 64 in the third round of the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, where he tied for eighth
  
  
• Notable non-qualifiers: 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Min Woo Lee (Australia); former PGA Tour player and 14-time winner on Japan Golf Tour Ryo Ishikawa, and past U.S. Open qualifiers Hideto Tanihara, Yuta Ikeda, David Oh and Angelo Que