2017 U.S. Open Qualifiers

[treebound]

http://fox6now.com/2017/03/06/10-u-s-qualifiers-usga-announces-2017-u-s-open-sectional-qualifying-sites/

The local to me news just posted an article on the U.S.Open qualifier locations. This has always been a background daydream of mine and I still hope to someday get my handicap down to 1.4 or lower. Not likely, but without dreams the goals fade.

 

Anyway, is anyone here planning on entering the qualifiers this year? Just curious.  If one of them was closer to me I'd take a day or two of vacation time to go watch a round or two.

[Golfingdad]

  On 3/6/2017 at 7:57 PM, treebound said:

http://fox6now.com/2017/03/06/10-u-s-qualifiers-usga-announces-2017-u-s-open-sectional-qualifying-sites/

The local to me news just posted an article on the U.S.Open qualifier locations. This has always been a background daydream of mine and I still hope to someday get my handicap down to 1.4 or lower. Not likely, but without dreams the goals fade.

 

Anyway, is anyone here planning on entering the qualifiers this year? Just curious.  If one of them was closer to me I'd take a day or two of vacation time to go watch a round or two.

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I'm in the same boat as you ... always dreamed that one day if I got down low enough, I'd make an attempt.

Also, I figured I'd point out that that list is for the Sectional qualifying sites.  Before most people make it there, they have to get through the 18 hole Local qualifier.  I couldn't find a comprehensive list of those, but I did find a list of the ones in Socal.  There are 9 local qualifiers (90 players each, not sure how many spots at each - half dozen maybe?) that feed into the Newport Beach sectional.

[MuniGrit]

I'd love to donate the fee and try one day.

[treebound]

I'll have to look up the local qualifiers then to see if any are close.

 

Edit: looks like registration is open and local qualifiers begin in early May. (Maybe next year ... {keeping the dream alive})

http://www.usga.org/articles/2017/02/usga-announces-114-local-qualifying-sites-for-2017-u-s--open.html

 

Edited March 6, 2017 by treebound
added edit and link

[Shooting29]

I will be entering the local qualifier at the Pete Dye Club, in Bridgeport, WV, Monday May 15th. My sectional choice will be Columbus, OH. 

Last year something just clicked. I don't know what but I picked up a good bit of yardage and accuracy with my driver. I started hitting more greens and shooting under par consistently. My index went from 5.6 to start the year to +0.4 to end it. That distance has carried over to this year. The weather has been descent at times and I've been able to play more than a handful and have only been over par twice.

I have mentioned here before that tournament golf is a different animal. I've seen good golfers shoot 85 and people back home will ask, "How did he shoot that?" with upward inflection at the end of the question. I can't answer for sure but I think it's a combination of nerves, self imposed pressure, and course set up among other things.

I've never got my index this low. I am eligible this year and don't know if I ever will be again. My goal will be to qualify. I would never enter a qualifier if I felt I could not advance. 

[TN94z]

  On 3/6/2017 at 9:32 PM, Shooting29 said:

I have mentioned here before that tournament golf is a different animal. I've seen good golfers shoot 85 and people back home will ask, "How did he shoot that?" with upward inflection at the end of the question. I can't answer for sure but I think it's a combination of nerves, self imposed pressure, and course set up among other things.

 

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For me it was nerves and pressure. I was normally a low to mid 70s shooter wherever we played for a while. I got talked into hitting the state am one year and shot a high 80 (it was coming a flood, but still). For me, it was the pressure of feeling like I had to shoot XX to make it any further. And the fact that I was in a group with guys that were trying to beat me out of a spot and it just felt like all eyes were on me on every single shot. It got to me for sure...

Edited March 6, 2017 by TN94z

[tigerrag]

  On 3/6/2017 at 9:32 PM, Shooting29 said:

I will be entering the local qualifier at the Pete Dye Club, in Bridgeport, WV, Monday May 15th. My sectional choice will be Columbus, OH. 

Last year something just clicked. I don't know what but I picked up a good bit of yardage and accuracy with my driver. I started hitting more greens and shooting under par consistently. My index went from 5.6 to start the year to +0.4 to end it. That distance has carried over to this year. The weather has been descent at times and I've been able to play more than a handful and have only been over par twice.

I have mentioned here before that tournament golf is a different animal. I've seen good golfers shoot 85 and people back home will ask, "How did he shoot that?" with upward inflection at the end of the question. I can't answer for sure but I think it's a combination of nerves, self imposed pressure, and course set up among other things.

I've never got my index this low. I am eligible this year and don't know if I ever will be again. My goal will be to qualify. I would never enter a qualifier if I felt I could not advance. 

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You'll have to keep us posted so we can keep up.  Best of luck!

[GolfLug]

  On 3/6/2017 at 9:32 PM, Shooting29 said:

I will be entering the local qualifier at the Pete Dye Club, in Bridgeport, WV, Monday May 15th. My sectional choice will be Columbus, OH. 

Last year something just clicked. I don't know what but I picked up a good bit of yardage and accuracy with my driver. I started hitting more greens and shooting under par consistently. My index went from 5.6 to start the year to +0.4 to end it. That distance has carried over to this year. The weather has been descent at times and I've been able to play more than a handful and have only been over par twice.

I have mentioned here before that tournament golf is a different animal. I've seen good golfers shoot 85 and people back home will ask, "How did he shoot that?" with upward inflection at the end of the question. I can't answer for sure but I think it's a combination of nerves, self imposed pressure, and course set up among other things.

I've never got my index this low. I am eligible this year and don't know if I ever will be again. My goal will be to qualify. I would never enter a qualifier if I felt I could not advance. 

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That is just so cool! Keep us in the loop. Good luck..!!

[Groucho Valentine]

If i don't withdraw before then, ill be at green brook on may 10. Locals are usually not that taxing. Ive shot as high as 76 and still advanced. Sectionals is where it gets impossible.. Depending on how many touring pros are at the site, you usually have to shoot somewhere in the mid 130's to even have hope as an alternate. 

Edited March 8, 2017 by Groucho Valentine

[RichWW2]

I would love to have a handicap low enough to play in a US Open Qualifier at some point in the future.  If I ever get down that low I'd sign up in a heartbeat.  I played golf in high school and remember competitive golf being a lot of fun.

Don't forget, there is also the Amateur (2.4 handicap requirement) or the Mid-Amateur (3.4 handicap requirement and 25+ years old) championships that people could strive towards on their way down to a 1.4 or if they can't make it quite that low.  Might be a little more doable for some people.

https://champs.usga.org/

[Groucho Valentine]

  On 3/8/2017 at 5:14 PM, RichWW2 said:

I would love to have a handicap low enough to play in a US Open Qualifier at some point in the future.  If I ever get down that low I'd sign up in a heartbeat.  I played golf in high school and remember competitive golf being a lot of fun.

Don't forget, there is also the Amateur (2.4 handicap requirement) or the Mid-Amateur (3.4 handicap requirement and 25+ years old) championships that people could strive towards on their way down to a 1.4 or if they can't make it quite that low.  Might be a little more doable for some people.

https://champs.usga.org/

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The mid-am is by far the most fun of the 3 big medal tournaments the USGA stages. Ive been at sites that had dudes running skins pots in the parking lot...  Makes it a little easier to shoot a good score. Especially when there is some extra cheese on the line. 

[RichWW2]

  On 3/8/2017 at 5:29 PM, Groucho Valentine said:

The mid-am is by far the most fun of the 3 big medal tournaments the USGA stages. Ive been at sites that had dudes running skins pots in the parking lot...  Makes it a little easier to shoot a good score. Especially when there is some extra cheese on the line. 

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What's Phil Mickelson doing playing the Mid-Am? Or was he just taking side bets in the parking lot? 

That sounds like a lot of fun.  Probably a lot less pressure without the entire golf world watching and the brutal course setup.  I read the Mid-Am winner gets an invitation to the Masters.  Now all I really need to do is get my handicap down to a 3.4 now (because it's just that easy), and I'll be playing Augusta in no time. 

[phillyk]

I've played the last 3 years at qualifiers and haven't done well.  This year I'm taking a break.  I've been shooting a lot of 70's scores at tournaments recently, but realistically they need to be mid to upper 60's.  At my local area qualifiers, you have to shoot even or better typically to advance to sectionals.  I actually really like the sectional course in my area this year too, but I still don't think I'll be ready for it.  I have lots of time to try it in the future.

[Groucho Valentine]

  On 3/8/2017 at 6:04 PM, RichWW2 said:

What's Phil Mickelson doing playing the Mid-Am? Or was he just taking side bets in the parking lot? 

That sounds like a lot of fun. Probably a lot less pressure without the entire golf world watching and the brutal course setup.  I read the Mid-Am winner gets an invitation to the Masters.  Now all I really need to do is get my handicap down to a 3.4 now (because it's just that easy), and I'll be playing Augusta in no time. 

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Ive qualified for a US Am, and it was the most tense atmosphere I've ever been in. That tournament is often populated by a bunch of college players and young progenies just take themselves way too seriously. Even US Open qualifiers are usually more laid back than the US Am process is. 

But at the mid-am, the players that usually win those things are world class players. I love the competition and the atmosphere, but the chances of me beating 2-3 of those dudes in match play in a row is pretty slim. The difference in skill between me and a +4.5 is probably the same distance that separates me someone around your skill level. So I doubt many 3 handicaps move far in that tourney if they make it on site.  They may be full time adults, but most of those dudes can still rock. 

Edited March 8, 2017 by Groucho Valentine

[Shooting29]

I plunked my money on the table a few hours ago and threw my hat in the ring.

My goal in any qualifier is always to advance. I really feel I can make it to sectionals and it doesn't have to be a "career" round in locals. Last year even par for 18 made it out of local qualifying at this course. Contrast that with US Am qualifying at the same location, -9 for 36 was in a playoff and -8 was alternate. I am not signing up for the Am unless my game gets 3-4 shots better between now and the deadline.

My big goal this year is qualifying for the US Mid Am. I only see this local qualifier helping me in that goal plus I get to be one of the few thousand participants. Both are 18 holes versus 36 for the Am. I've never been able to practice my way to being better. I have to play tournaments to be tournament ready.

I've never qualified for a USGA event. Finished close a bunch but never got the silver medal. I am significantly better both physically and mentally than I was at last years Mid Am qualifier where I finished T- 4. 

I feel really confident in my game tjis year and not in a cocky way but my miss dispersion is getting tighter and we all know the question is not how good are your good shots but how good are your bad shots?

[GolfLug]

So what percentage of entrants qualify or is it a certain number of players?

[Golfingdad]

  On 3/8/2017 at 8:52 PM, GolfLug said:

So what percentage of entrants qualify or is it a certain number of players?

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According to the link above, there are 114 local qualifying sites.  The local sites near me are mostly fields of 90, and a few are fields of 84.  If we go on the assumption that there are, say, 88 per, then that means there are 10,032 people who attempt local qualifying.  Sprinkle in the handful of players that are exempt into sectional qualifying and the lucky group who is exempt into the Open itself, then maybe there are something close to 10,200 or 10,300 people vying for about 150 spots.

So, something around 1.5% or so?

[David in FL]

  On 3/8/2017 at 9:25 PM, Golfingdad said:

According to the link above, there are 114 local qualifying sites.  The local sites near me are mostly fields of 90, and a few are fields of 84.  If we go on the assumption that there are, say, 88 per, then that means there are 10,032 people who attempt local qualifying.  Sprinkle in the handful of players that are exempt into sectional qualifying and the lucky group who is exempt into the Open itself, then maybe there are something close to 10,200 or 10,300 people vying for about 150 spots.

So, something around 1.5% or so?

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And you can bet the house, none of them is a 1.4 hcp...