Cameron Young faced an arduous day on the golf course, but his perseverance paid off when he secured a place at the U.S. Open with his coasting putts during a playoff at the Ohio qualifier. Young sank birdies on three of the last four holes to enter into a competitive 5-for-1 playoff, eventually clinching his slot in the prestigious tournament at Oakmont with a decisive 12-foot birdie.
The events unfolded across various locations, including Canada, as golfers vied for 47 open spots at 10 qualifying sites intended to fill the roster for what is often heralded as one of the toughest golfing events. The day proved especially challenging for golfer Max Homa.
Homa was on the verge of capturing one of the six available slots from the Ohio qualifier at Kinsale. His challenge intensified as he carried his own bag for 36 holes, even after enduring a demanding week at the Memorial and separating from his caddie. A misstep on the final hole led him into a playoff after a three-putt for par.
The extension of his challenge saw him toting his bag for 38 holes in total. Young, on the cusp of a tough year that required him to go through a 36-hole qualifier, made clutch shots, including a 9-iron to 8 feet on the 15th and a wedge to 18 inches on his final hole.
Reflecting on the day’s grueling effort, Young remarked, “I feel like I showed myself something today. For so long today I saw nothing go in.” The playoff took them back to the 10th hole. Young skillfully maneuvered his drive into the left rough and perfectly judged a wedge to position a 12-foot birdie attempt, which he sank successfully.
Meanwhile, Erik van Rooyen comfortably secured his place at Oakmont with a strong start, ending six shots ahead in the Ohio qualifier. Other notable qualifiers included Bud Cauley, Lanto Griffin, Justin Lower, and Harrison Ott. Zac Blair triumphed in a 4-for-1 playoff for the final position in Springfield, Ohio.
The Florida qualifier was disrupted due to weather, delaying its completion, while in California, Arizona State’s Preston Summerhays led the qualifiers. The battle for the last spot was postponed to Tuesday.
The Atlanta qualifiers saw three of its five spots go to amateurs. Notably, 17-year-old Mason Howell led with a bogey-free round. Other qualifiers were Auburn’s Jackson Koivun, who has secured a PGA Tour card, and Tyler Weaver, a sophomore at Florida State.
Elsewhere, qualifications in Toronto and North Carolina each had seven slots available. Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo were among those who succeeded in Canada, where Kevin Velo topped the qualifiers.
In North Carolina, Zach Bauchou led the contingent to Oakmont. Interestingly, he was accompanied by his former college roommate Viktor Hovland two years ago, and Hovland had recently clinched victory at the Memorial.
Maryland hosted the contest for four spots predominantly involving LIV Golf players. Marc Leishman, an Australian, emerged victorious over fellow LIV player Sebastian Munoz to capture one of these spots.
Initially, fifteen golfers from LIV had entered the Maryland qualifier, but several opted out once their prospects dimmed, a common practice amongst professional golfers. However, Matt Vogt excelled in one of the two Walla Walla, Washington, qualifiers, securing him a place at Oakmont, an establishment he once served as a caddie.