For Tommy Kuhl, it was just another obstacle to overcome en route to Los Angeles Country Club, which he was one step closer to after going thermonuclear on the punched greens. Kuhl, a fifth-year senior at Illinois, shot a course-record 62, easily locking up medallist honours and moving on to US Open Final Qualifying. Or so he thought.

As Monday Q Info first reported on Twitter, Kuhl went out to follow some of his teammates after setting Illini ablaze. While watching fellow fifth-year senior Adrien Dumont de Chassart compete in a playoff for the final of five spots up for grabs, another teammate, Jackson Buchanan, mentioned how hard it was putting on the aerated greens all day to Kuhl.

U of Illinois standout @tkuhlgolf shot a course record 62 today to win US Open local

And then he DQ'd himself

I was afraid I had another cheating scandal on my hands. I couldn't have been more wrong. This is a story about honesty, integrity, and the..https://t.co/wrVyFk8cLK

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) May 9, 2023

The moment Kuhl heard that, French writes, he knew something was wrong.

“I felt sick to my stomach,” Kuhl said. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t tell the rules official.”

Kuhl realised that he had repaired aeration marks multiple times during the round, which is not allowed under the Rules of Golf. In 2019, when many of the rules were simplified, Rule 13.1c(2) was amended to allow repair of “almost any damage on the green”. The key word there, of course, is “almost.” As the rule reads, “any damage” includes ball-marks, shoe damage (spike marks), indentations from a club or flagstick, animal damage, etc. Unfortunately, that etc did not include aeration marks, nor did it include natural surface imperfections or natural wear of the hole.

As rules official Todd Bailey told Monday Q, Kuhl would have been within his rights to fix the aeration marks had a local rule been enacted on Monday. That was not the case, and once Kuhl realised he had fixed them multiple times he had to DQ himself.

“I should know better. It comes down to me. I should know that rule,” Kuhl said.

Numerous players from the Illini qualifier who spoke with Monday Q came clean that they also fixed aeration marks throughout the round, though none of them qualified. Kuhl was the unlucky one among them who happened to have a career day, putting LACC legitimately in his sights. Sadly, that dream is dead, but at least Kuhl won’t be having nightmares over a rules infraction he didn’t admit to.

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By Tod Leonard
These days, it usually takes going exceptionally low to win on the PGA Tour, and it’s apparently no different in qualifying for the US Open.

In the first final qualifier played in North America on Monday at two courses in Dallas, 11-under for 36 holes was the number to be the medallist — and there were four players who achieved that — while seven-under was the score that got players into next month’s major at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

In a qualifier that featured numerous PGA Tour pros, the top 13 out of 98 entrants advanced, and a six-man playoff was required for the final two spots. Those positions went to Davis Shore and Roger Sloan, while Adam Hadwin and Austin Cook were the first and second alternates, respectively.

The day’s low score was a 62 fashioned by Matthew NeSmith, who made nine birdies in the morning round at Royal Oaks Country Club. NeSmith, a third-year PGA Tour player who has competed in only one major, shot 69 in the second round at Lakewood Country Club and joined Americans Kurt Kitayama (65-66) and Sean Crocker (64-67), and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma (68-63) at 11-under.

Among the notables not advancing were 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, Aaron Baddeley, Rory Sabbatini and James Hahn.

The other more recognisable names to advance were Canadians Mackenzie Hughes (nine-under) and Nick Taylor (nine-under) and American Scott Stallings, who was solo 11th at eight-under.

There was one amateur who reached from this final: University of Texas junior Travis Vick, who shot nine-under. Vick was a semi-finalist at last year’s US Amateur at Oakmont.

The remaining nine final qualifiers — eight in the US and one in Canada — will be contested on Monday, June 6.

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The post US Open 2022: These scores were ridiculously low, even in a US Open qualifier appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
It is called the longest day in golf, a name bearing affection, excitement, drama, and heartache. Ten U.S. Open sectionals were held on Monday, with invites to Pebble Beach on the line to 60 lucky individuals. To earn a trip to the Monterey Peninsula, players have to survive 36 holes and some of the stiffest competition the game has to offer. A sentiment underlined in Columbus, where half the field was comprised of Memorial tournament entrants.

Qualifier tickets had already been punched via regionals in Dallas and Japan. The Texas site produced notables such as 49-year-old former Masters winner Mike Weir, Web.com player Scottie Scheffler (the 22-year-old has already locked up his tour card for the 2019-20 season) and Oklahoma State’s Austin Eckroat, while half the Japanese field withdrew before completing their round.

So which players will be teeing it up in California next week? Here is a round-up of Monday’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying.

Walton Heath Golf Club (England)
South African Dean Burmester lapped the field in Surrey, his 16-under performance four strokes better than the nearest competitor. Burmester made the Open field last year at Shinnecock, finishing T-56.

Marus Frazier and Thomas Pieters are two familiar names to the American audience, while Kiwi Daniel Hillier was the only amateur to make it out of this sectional. Perhaps Walton Heath is better noted for who didn’t make it, as Lee Westwood missed the cut, just the second time since 2007 he failed to qualify for the U.S. Open. Other players coming up short were Bernd Wiesberger, Ross Fisher and “Beef” Johnston.

Qualifiers: 1: Dean Burmester, Sam Horsfield, Marcus Fraser, Clement Sordet, Matthieu Pavon, Lee Slattery, Marcus Kinhult, Rhys Enoch, Adri Arnaus, Justin Walters, Daniel Hillier (a), Thomas Pieters, Merrick Bremner, Renato Paratore

Century Country Club & Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.
The most popular firefighter in golf is back on one of its biggest stages. Former U.S. Mid-Am Champ Matt Parziale, who finished as the Low Am at Shinnecock, earned one of the four spots available at the Purchase venue, his one-over score good enough for T-2 with Andy Pope. Wake Forest’s Cameron Young took medalist honours at four under, while Rob Oppenheim beat Kelly Kraft in the second hole of sudden death to capture the final slot.

Teenager Garrett Engle missed the playoff by two shots. PGA Tour players Jim Herman and J.J. Henry also missed out.

Qualifiers: Cameron Young (a), Matt Parziale (a), Andy Pope, Rob Oppenheim.

Streamsong Resort, Streamsong, Fla.
It’s a good thing Florida isn’t suffering a heat wave, because the field at Streamsong could have burned the resort to the ground. Eleven under was the cut line, with Chile’s Guillermo Pereira the last man in. Callum Tarren took the top spot at 14 under, while amateur Luis Gagne, who tied for low amateur honors at Shinnecock Hills finished second at 12 under.

Qualifiers: Callum Tarren, Luis Gagne (a), Guillermo Pereira

RattleSnake Point Golf Club, Milton, Ontario
Tom Hoge and Sepp Straka shared medalist honors at five under, while Harris English was the odd man out of a 3-for-2 playoff against Nathan Lashley and Alex Prugh. Hoge has two previous U.S. Open appearances; it will be the tournament debut for Straka, a rookie on the PGA Tour. Padraig Harrington came two strokes short of a playoff, as did Scott Langley, Austin Cook and Hudson Swafford.

Qualifiers: Tom Hoge, Sepp Straka, Austin Cook, Hudson Swafford.

Hawks Ridge Golf Club, Ball Ground, Ga.
Hawks Ridge turned into a Yellow Jacket nest, as two Georgia Tech All-Americans—tour player Ollie Schniederjans and current amateur Noah Norton—tied for medalist honors at 11 under. Schniederjans has had a rough go in 2019, currently ranked 163rd in the FedEx Cup standings. Perhaps this is the jolt to get him on the right track.

Norton wasn’t the only collegiate player to make it through, joined by Duke’s Chandler Eaton, who finished at nine under. Roberto Castro also finished at nine, with Jaime Lopez Rivarola and Joey Garber alternates at eight under. PGA Tour rookie Anders Albertson was just outside the noise at seven under.

Qualifiers: Ollie Schniederjans, Noah Norton, Chandler Eaton, Roberto Castro.

Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Md.
Billy Hurley III, playing down the road from his home in Annapolis, made a seven-footer for birdie on the final hole to secure medalist honors at three under. Hurley is currently playing without a tour card, making his Open invite—the fourth of his career and first since 2016—all the more sweeter.

Joseph Bramlett and Ryan Sullivan advanced out of a 3-for-2 playoff against Tee-K Kelly. Bramlett qualified previously for the U.S. Open in 2010 when it was last played at Pebble Beach. NHL referee Garrett Rank missed getting in the sudden death action by two shots.

Qualifiers: Billy Hurley III, Joseph Bramlett, Ryan Sullivan

Brookside Golf & Country Club and Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio
This field’s so loaded the OWGR should award points. However, in spite of its star power, it was a Web.com player atop the leader board in Luke Guthrie. The 29-year-old is making his third U.S. Open appearance thanks to an 11-under performance. Eight players finished in a tie for seventh at five under, securing the final of the 14 spots up for grabs in Columbus. That group included amateurs Brandon Wu and former No. 1 am Collin Morikawa, as well as former World No. 1 Luke Donald. 2013 PGA champ Jason Dufner also earned an invite from this sectional.

 

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It’s a funny old game….65 on Saturday, 80 on Sunday…..then 66, 71 today to qualify for the US Open at Pebble! Can’t wait!! #letsgo #Canadianopenbound

A post shared by lukedonald (@lukedonald) on Jun 3, 2019 at 5:06pm PDT

Cameron Champ, Joel Dahmen and Kevin Tway missed out by a shot. Kevin Streelman, who turned in a 66 at the Memorial on Sunday to finish fourth, withdrew after an opening-18 75.

Qualifiers: Luke Guthrie, Anirban Lahiri, Sam Saunders, Jhonattan Vegas, Rory Sabbatini, Jason Dufner, Chesson Hadley, Erik Van Rooyen, Luke Donald, Aaron Baddeley, Brandon Wu (a), Ryan Fox, Collin Morikawa, Kyoung-Hoon Lee

Big Canyon Country Club/Newport Beach Country Club, Newport Beach, Calif.
Amateurs shinned in California, with rising Arizona State standout Chun An Yu taking medalist honours. And former U.S. Mid-Amateur champ Stewart Hagestod qualified for a second time.

Qualifiers: Chun An Yu (a), Haydn Shieh, Richard Lee, Stewart Hagestad (a), Andreas Halvorsen

Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ill.
Amateurs shinned in California, with Arizona State standout Chun An Yu taking medialist honors. And former U.S. Mid-Amateur champ Stewart Hagestad qualified for a second time.

Qualifiers: Chun An Yu (a), Haydn Shieh, Richard Lee, Stewart Hagestad (a), Andreas Halvorsen

Wine Valley Golf Club, Walla Walla, Wash.
To have Eric Dietrich fly in from his home (Connecticut) across country for the U.S. qualifier, then win medalist honors is a huge deal. But there’s a good explanation: he plays now on the Canadian Tour

Qualifiers: Eric Dietrich, Matthew Naumec, Spencer Tibbits (a)

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