Charley Hoffman and Kevin Sutherland won their respective qualifiers on Monday to advance to the U.S. Open Championship at Merion next week.
Hoffman was at the largest qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, where 120 players were vying for 15 spots at the Open. Sutherland won the Memphis, Tenn. qualifier, where there were 112 players going for nine places.
In all, well over 800 players were battling for 57 spots at the U.S. Open on Monday. Those players were spread over 11 qualifiers around the country.
Hoffman posted 11-under 133 for 36 holes to top the qualifier. The others that gained a spot in the U.S. Open field from that site were David Hearn, Nicholas Thompson, Robert Karlsson, Josh Teater, David Lingmerth, Brandt Jobe, Brendan Steele, Ted Potter, Jr., Aaron Baddeley, Luke Guthrie, Justin Hicks, Sang Moon Bae and Doug LaBelle.
Those last six players survived an 11-for-6 playoff. Mike Weir and Jason Kokrak gained alternate spots in that playoff, while Steve Flesch, Rory Sabbatini and Charlie Wi were also involved.
Sutherland was followed by Shawn Stefani, Jerry Kelly, Morgan Hoffmann, Joe Ogilvie, Scott Langley, Brandon Crick, Alistair Presnell and Andrew Svoboda as those getting a spot in the field at Merion. The last two bested Scott Stallings in a playoff. Langley was bolstered by a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth at Colonial Country Club.
In Rockville, Md. where there were eight spots available, Russell Knox, Randall Hutchison and Adam Hadwin shared medalist honors at 9-under 132. Ryan Sullivan, Matt Harmon, Cliff Kresge, Mathew Goggin and Matt Bettencourt also got a spot in the field at Merion. Bettencourt claimed a 3-for-1 playoff over Harold Varner III and Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders.
In Purchase, N.Y., Jesse Smith, Geoffrey Sisk and Gavin Hall shared medalist honors at 4-under 137. Jim Herman also qualified at that spot. Hall birdied his final four holes to get a spot at the qualifier, where 79 players battled for four spots.
Ryan Nelson and amateur Michael Kim topped the qualifier at minus-11 in Ball Ground, Ga. Fellow amateur Grayson Murray also qualified at 9-under 135.
Brian Stuard and Brandon Brown gained spots in the field in the 39-for-2 qualifier in Springfield, Ohio, while Wil Collins and Cheng-Tsung Pan gained spots in the field at Merion via the qualifier in Cle Elum, Wash.
Jay Don Blake and Mackenzie Hughes qualified in St. Louis. Hughes bested Travis Johns in a 2-for-1 playoff.
In Bradenton, Fla, Irish amateur Kevin Phelan won the qualifier at 9-under 135. James Hahn also qualified there, while John Nieporte and amateur David Snyder will complete their playoff for the final spot at 8 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday. There was a weather delay earlier in the day that delayed action. Nieporte got into the mix thanks in part to a hole-in-one on the par-3 third.
Jordan Spieth, Edward Loar and Matt Weibring posted 8-under 134 in Dallas to top the 68-for-4 qualifier. Zack Fischer and Ryan Palmer have matched scores through eight playoff holes and they will resume play at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
At the final qualifier in Newport Beach, Calif., Bio Kim, Roger Tambellini and Steven Alker grabbed the first three available spots. Amateurs Cory McElyea and Max Homa topped Jesse Schutte in a 3-for-2 playoff.
At the Maryland qualifier, two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen was disqualified after the first round because he wore metal spikes, which was against regulations at that course.
Among those that failed to qualify were Beau Hossler, Nick O'Hern, Heath Slocum, Fred Funk, J.J. Henry, Sean O'Hair, Kyle Stanley, Trevor Immelman, Camilo Villegas, Charles Howell III, Davis Love III, Ben Curtis, Ben Crane, Jeff Maggert, Chad Campbell, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Scott Verplank and Todd Hamilton.
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