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U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Results

By Mike Randleman

May 12, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Steve Stricker (left) and Webb Simpson (right) walk to the 16th tee during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
May 12, 2017; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; Steve Stricker (left) and Webb Simpson (right) walk to the 16th tee during the second round of The Players Championship golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass - Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports /
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U.S. Open
Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /

Columbus, Ohio

122 players for 14 spots

The Postman delivered at the Columbus qualifier. PGA TOUR rookie from East Carolina University, J.T. Poston, fired consecutive 66s at Brookside G&CC and Lakes G&CC to earn medalist honors by one at 12-under. He gave himself a belated birthday gift for his June 1 24th birthday by qualifying for his first major championship.

Poston routinely uses the hashtag #playbetter on Twitter to make light of his not-so-glamorous moments on Tour, but if he keeps it up he’ll be a lot more recognizable from here on out.

While Poston didn’t get into the field at last week’s Memorial Tournament in nearby Dublin, dozens of fellow Tour pros made the 20-mile jaunt to Columbus.

That includes runners-up Jason Kokrak and Bud Cauley at 11-under, who both cracked the top 40 at Muirfield Village. Cauley’s 63 at Brookside was the site’s low round.

The story of the qualifier is likely Stewart Cink. He tied fellow major champion, Keegan Bradley, and multi-PGA TOUR winner, Martin Laird, for fourth at 10-under.

Cink, 44, skipped U.S. Open qualifying to be with his wife, Lisa, who was battling stage 4 breast cancer. He’ll compete in his 20th U.S. Open later this month.

Rounding out the qualifiers are Jamie Lovemark (T4, -10); Bryson Dechambeau, Cheng-Tsung Pan, David Lingmerth and Ted Potter Jr. (-9); Michael Putnam, Peter Uihlein, Scottie Scheffler and Talor Gooch (-8). The final three in this group played their way on Tuesday morning in a four-man playoff for three spots. Michael Putnam was left out in the cold.

Some quick hits on the nine:

  • Lovemark tied for 18th in his only U.S. Open start in 2015. The world No. 93 will make his fourth major championship start.
  • DeChambeau is making his first major start as a professional and third overall. He tied for 15th in 2016.
  • Pan, like DeChambeau, is a former No. 1 amateur. The 25-year-old PGA Tour rookie is 2-for-3 in cuts made at the U.S. Open.
  • Lingmerth might be a sleeper at Erin Hills. He owns four top-25s in eight major starts, including a career-best 12th at the 2016 U.S. Open.
  • Potter Jr. is making his first major start since 2013 when he missed the cut at the U.S. Open. He could be headed back to the PGA Tour with seven top-20 finishes already on the Web.com Tour this season.
  • Putnam qualified for his fifth U.S. Open, third-most of the 14 Columbus qualifiers
  • Uihlein will seek to become the 12th player to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. The former top junior and amateur golfer won the Am in 2010.
  • Scheffler was also a former top junior. The University of Texas junior standout was the only amateur to emerge from Columbus.
  • Gooch will compete in his first U.S. Open. He’s in the mix to make the PGA Tour for 2017-2018, just outside the coveted top 25 at No. 27 on the Web.com Tour money list.
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