The road to Erin Hills

[Wally Fairway]

I love to follow the qualifying process for the US Open (and to a lesser extent The {British] Open Championship), part of what makes it great is that it is different from regular PGA events, The Masters (being an invitational) and the PGA which historically gets a stronger field but with only Club Pros having a qualifier. Anyway here are the qualifying events for the 2017 US Open

June 15-18 the US Open will be held at Erin Hills in Wisconsin; but road to qualifying starts in a few weeks.

114 Local qualifiers will be held May 2 - 18, in 44 states, you need to be have a handicap of 1.4 or better or be a professional to enter.
http://www.usga.org/articles/2017/02/usga-announces-114-local-qualifying-sites-for-2017-u-s--open.html

Earn a spot and move on to one of 12 sectional qualifiers (2 International sites, 10 US sites - held May 22 in Japan, May 29 in England, and the US sites on June 5)
http://www.usga.org/articles/2017/03/sectional-qualifying-sites-announced-for-117th-u-s--open.html

 

The exemption list, those who do not have to qualify, should be released late this month. But the categories for exemptions are:

1) Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years.
2) Winner and runner-up of the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship (must still be an amateur).
3) Winner of the 2016 Amateur Championship conducted by The R&A (must still be an amateur).
4) Winner of the 2016 Mark H. McCormack Medal (must still be an amateur).
5) Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years.
6) Winners of The Open Championship conducted by The R&A the last five years.
7) Winners of the PGA of America Championship the last five years.
8) Winners of the Players Championship the last three years.
9) Winner of the 2017 European Tour BMW PGA Championship.
10) Winner of the 2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship.
11) From the 2016 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scores and anyone tying for 10th place.
12) Those players qualifying for the season-ending 2016 Tour Championship.
13) From the Official World Golf Rankings, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of May 22, 2017. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry.
14) From the Official World Golf Rankings, the top 60 point leaders and ties as of June 12, 2017. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry.
15) Special exemptions as selected by the USGA.

[RLM]

FOX to air 45+ hours of coverage at U.S. Open at Erin Hills

[tigerrag]

Has anyone on here tried to qualify before?  I know if I could get my Handicap that low I would want to play in a qualifier just to be able to say I had done it.

[Wally Fairway]

The exempt list is up, with 51 players who do not have to qualify
http://www.usopen.com/qualifying/road-to-erin-hills.html

And with 9,485 entries to qualify, the local qualifiers are this week
http://www.usopen.com/2017/articles/usga-accepts-9-485-entries-for-2017-u-s--open.html

Edited April 30, 2017 by Wally Fairway

[BallStriker]

Think we need some folks to help with links to local qualifying results -- here is live scoring from Washington's Golf Association -- any others?

 

https://www.ghintpp.com/wsga/TPPOnlineScoring/ResultsStroke.aspx?id=256&fid=0

[Wally Fairway]

Tony Romo trying to qualify outside Dallas - last group of the day 117 playing for 7 spots.
Already have 3 guys in at -5, it's going to take a good number to move on from this one.

http://www.txga.org/tournament-leaderboard.php?club=txga&tournament=1135

[nevets88]

This is certainly not the road to take, +16 on 2 holes alone.

 

[David in FL]

  On 5/11/2017 at 2:46 PM, nevets88 said:

This is certainly not the road to take, +16 on 2 holes alone.

 

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That'll get him a letter from the USGA!

Some silly high handicapper with a fraudulent handicap who wanted to be able to say that he played in a U.S. Open qualifier.   I hope he's proud of that.

[Wally Fairway]

  On 5/11/2017 at 3:20 PM, David in FL said:

That'll get him a letter from the USGA!

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Don't care had sex played golf

[David in FL]

  On 5/11/2017 at 3:45 PM, Wally Fairway said:

Don't care had sex played golf

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I don't know what he played, but it sure as hell wasn't golf!  

[phillyk]

I always find it somewhat interesting the scores that make it through regional qualifying.  In WA state, you just need even par and you can make it to sectionals, but east coast states sometimes need several under par.  I wonder if it's the way the course is set up or what.  When I played, they definitely put pins on edges of ridges and other tough spots while rolling the greens at 13 or 14.  Is that the same everywhere?

[cipher]

I live 10 minutes from the course, and my caddie services are available.  Just sayin'.  

[davechen]

My son and I walked the course at the local qualifier at Northwest in Silver Spring MD.  The winner was -6.  6 guys were in a playoff for the last spot, tied at +1.

[ElWagonne]

  On 5/11/2017 at 4:52 PM, phillyk said:

I always find it somewhat interesting the scores that make it through regional qualifying.  In WA state, you just need even par and you can make it to sectionals, but east coast states sometimes need several under par.  I wonder if it's the way the course is set up or what.  When I played, they definitely put pins on edges of ridges and other tough spots while rolling the greens at 13 or 14.  Is that the same everywhere?

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I think it may be part setup and part competition.  You get a lot of mini-tour and  Web.com guys trying to get in on the east coast, just because that's where they set up shop.  My home state of TX is the same way.  -3 was the number to hit at the one closest to my house.

[Wally Fairway]

The first sectional qualifier is currently underway at the Ono Golf Club in Ono City Japan.
36 playing for 4 spots in the US Open

http://www.usopen.com/qualifying/sectional/ono-city.html#!&tab=results

[Wally Fairway]

Wesley Bryan giving a peak at course conditions at Erin Hills

 

Also 15 qualified at the Surrey sectional on Monday - including 4 who survived a 7 for 4 playoff.

http://www.usopen.com/qualifying/sectional/surrey.html#!&slide=0&tab=results

Edited May 31, 2017 by Wally Fairway

[David in FL]

  On 5/31/2017 at 3:05 PM, Wally Fairway said:

Wesley Bryan giving a peak at course conditions at Erin Hills

 

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[JetFan1983]

This is seriously a gorgeous course. Can't wait to see it in action. They have all 18 holes on this Youtube channel if you're interested in seeing it, but here's the opening hole: 

 

7693 yards, par 72. Should be a fascinating week with no course history really to work with other than the 2011 US Amateur, which probably won't tell us a whole lot.