New Jersey Home To Two U.S. Open Local Qualifiers On 'road To Oakmont'
For many hopefuls, the journey to the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club begins with local qualifying.
Between May 2-19, the USGA will conduct 111 18-hole qualifiers in 43 states to determine which players advance to 36-hole sectional qualifying. Ten sectional qualifiers are scheduled in the United States on Monday, June 6, and for the 12th consecutive year, Japan and England will host sectional qualifying, both in late May.
Two of the 111 qualifiers are in New Jersey, at Hollywood Golf Club in Deal on Thursday, May 12, and at Panther Valley Golf and Country Club in Allamuchy on Tuesday, May 17.
New Jersey is also home to one of the 10 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifers in the U.S., at Canoe Brook Country Club on Monday, June 6. At last year's local sectional qualifer at New York's Century and Old Oaks, four players advanced to the U.S. Open including Pat Wilson of Andover, N.J., two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, Jamie Lovemark of Scottsdale, Az., and Rich Berberian of Derry, N.H.
The U.S. Open is being conducted for a record ninth time at Oakmont June 16-19.
“The skills and support provided by state and regional golf associations in conducting U.S. Open local qualifying is immeasurable, and we appreciate their continued commitment,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “Thousands of golfers from around the world, both professional and amateur, will take part in the two-tiered process of U.S. Open qualifying as they pursue an opportunity to compete for our national championship.”
In 2015, the USGA accepted 9,882 entries for the championship at Chambers Bay, in University Place, Wash. The record of 10,127 was established for the 2014 championship at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
Forty-three courses return as U.S. Open local qualifying sites from last year and several have a long history as hosts. Illini Country Club, in Springfield, Ill., has conducted a U.S. Open qualifier since the late 1940s. Maketewah Country Club, in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a local site in 39 of the last 40 years. Riverton (Wyo.) Country Club and Genoa Lakes Golf Club, in Genoa, Nev., have each hosted local qualifying since 1998. For the 13th consecutive year, Collindale Golf Course, in Fort Collins, Colo., will host a local qualifier.
Three other local qualifying sites have hosted historic USGA championships. Jack Nicklaus (1959 U.S. Amateur) and Annika Sorenstam (1995 U.S. Women’s Open) won USGA titles at The Broadmoor Golf Club (East Course), in Colorado Springs, Colo. Colin Montgomerie claimed his first USGA championship (2014 U.S. Senior Open) at Oak Tree National, in Edmond, Okla. Susie Maxwell Berning won the first of her three U.S. Women’s Opens in 1968 at Moselem Springs Country Club, in Fleetwood, Pa.
U.S. Open: Notable Performances by Local Qualifiers
Several local exemptions for the U.S. Open were amended prior to 2014. The top 500 point leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking™ (as of March 7) will be exempt from local qualifying. Any player in the OWGR’s top 500 (as of April 25) who has filed an entry prior to the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on April 27, will also earn a local exemption. In the past, only the top 150 point leaders were exempt. Additionally, any player who has had multiple finishes in the top 400 of the year-ending OWGR in the past five calendar years (2011-2015) will be exempt from local qualifying.
Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and sectional play. Last year, 22 players advanced through local and sectional qualifying to the 156-player U.S. Open Championship field at Chambers Bay. Of those 22, six players made the 36-hole cut, including Andy Pope, who started his journey at Orange Tree Golf Club, in Orlando, Fla., which will host a local qualifier for the fifth consecutive year.
To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional.
There are 16 local qualifying sites in the state of Florida. Fourteen local qualifiers are scheduled in California, while Pennsylvania will host seven local qualifiers.
Online player registration for the 2016 U.S. Open will begin in the second week of March CLICK TO REGISTER
2016 U.S. Open Championship Local Qualifying Sites (111)
Monday, May 2 (1)
Twin Warriors G.C., Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
Tuesday, May 3 (1)
Limestone Springs G.C., Oneonta, Ala.
Wednesday, May 4 (1)
C.C. of Winter Haven, Winter Haven, Fla.
Friday, May 6 (1)
The Club at Admirals Cove (West Course), Jupiter, Fla.
Saturday, May 7 (1)
Ka’anapali C.C. (Royal Course), Lahaina, Hawaii
Monday, May 9 (28)
San Joaquin C.C., Fresno, Calif.
Crystalaire C.C., Llano, Calif.
Indian Ridge C.C. (Grove Course), Palm Desert, Calif.
Pasatiempo G.C., Santa Cruz, Calif.
The Heritage at Westmoor, Westminster, Colo.
Amelia National G. & C.C., Amelia Island, Fla.
Ritz-Carlton G.C., Orlando, Fla.
Wanderers G.C., Wellington, Fla.
The Club at Hokuli’a, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Village Links of Glen Ellyn, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Illini C.C., Springfield, Ill.
Wolf Run G.C., Indianapolis, Ind.
Morris Park C.C., South Bend, Ind.
Bardstown C.C. (Maywood Course), Bardstown, Ky.
Worthington Manor G.C., Urbana, Md.
Minnesota Valley C.C., Bloomington, Minn.
Minneapolis G.C., St. Louis Park, Minn.
TPC Summerlin, Las Vegas, Nev.
Mohawk Golf Club, Schenectady, N.Y.
Duke University G.C., Durham, N.C.
Rattlesnake Ridge G.C., Sunbury, Ohio
Lebanon C.C., Lebanon, Pa.
North Kingstown G.C., North Kingstown, R.I.
Carolina C.C., Spartanburg, S.C.
C.C. of Sioux Falls, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Stonebridge G.C., Memphis, Tenn.
Hurricane Creek C.C., Dallas, Texas
Alpine C.C., Highland, Utah
Tuesday, May 10 (10)
Hot Springs C.C. (Arlington Course), Hot Springs, Ark.
Trilogy G.C. at Vistancia, Peoria, Ariz.
Andalusia C.C., La Quinta, Calif.
Southern Hills Plantation G.C., Brooksville, Fla.
Planterra Ridge G.C., Peachtree City, Ga.
Forest Hills C.C., St. Louis, Mo.
Missoula C.C., Missoula, Mont.
Old Westbury G. & C.C., Old Westbury, N.Y.
Weymouth C.C., Medina, Ohio
Pronghorn Resort (Nicklaus Course), Bend, Ore.
Wednesday, May 11 (4)
Wichita C.C., Wichita, Kan.
Bethpage State Park G.C. (Red Course), Farmingdale, N.Y.
The Hills C.C., Austin, Texas
Tumble Creek Club, Cle Elum, Wash.
Thursday, May 12 (10)
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes G.C., Maricopa, Ariz.
Bermuda Dunes C.C., Bermuda Dunes, Calif.
La Purisima G.C., Lompoc, Calif.
Feather Sound C.C., Clearwater, Fla.
Timacuan G. & C.C., Lake Mary, Fla.
The Legacy G. & T.C., Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Hollywood G.C., Deal, N.J.
Butler C.C., Butler, Pa.
Moselem Springs G.C., Fleetwood, Pa.
Amarillo C.C., Amarillo, Texas
Sunday, May 15 (2)
The Broadmoor G.C. (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colo.
TimberStone G.C., Caldwell, Idaho
Monday, May 16 (26)
C.C. at DC Ranch, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Barona Creek G.C., Lakeside, Calif.
Classic Club, Palm Desert, Calif.
Ruby Hill C.C., Pleasanton, Calif.
New Haven C.C., Hamden, Conn.
Sawgrass C.C. (East/West Course), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Weston Hills C.C. (Tour Course), Weston, Fla.
Jennings Mill C.C., Bogart, Ga.
Exmoor C.C., Highland Park, Ill.
Cedar Rapids C.C., Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Sycamore Ridge G.C., Spring Hill, Kan.
Longmeadow C.C., Longmeadow, Mass.
Essex C.C., Manchester, Mass.
Wuskowhan Players Club, West Olive, Mich.
Genoa Lakes G.C. (Lakes Course), Genoa, Nev.
Red Hawk G.C., Las Cruces, N.M.
Willow Ridge C.C., Harrison, N.Y.
Mendon G.C., Mendon, N.Y.
Pinewild C.C. (Magnolia Course), Pinehurst, N.C.
Maketewah C.C., Cincinnati, Ohio
Catawba Island Club, Port Clinton, Ohio
Oak Tree National, Edmond, Okla.
Silver Creek C.C., Hellertown, Pa.
The Club at Nevillewood, Nevillewood, Pa.
Westwood G.C., Houston, Texas
Pete Dye G.C., Bridgeport, W.Va.
Tuesday, May 17 (13)
Yocha Dehe G.C., Brooks, Calif.
Ironwood C.C. (South Course), Palm Desert, Calif.
Collindale G.C., Fort Collins, Colo.
Bay Point G. & T.C., Panama City Beach, Fla.
Sara Bay C.C., Sarasota, Fla.
The Bluffs Golf Resort, St. Francisville, La.
Crofton C.C., Crofton, Md.
The Orchards G.C., Washington, Mich.
Panther Valley G. & C.C., Allamuchy Township, N.J.
Secession G.C., Beaufort, S.C.
Timarron C.C., Southlake, Texas
Bishops Bay C.C., Middleton, Wis.
Riverton C.C., Riverton, Wyo.
Wednesday, May 18 (6)
Palmer G.C., Palmer, Alaska
Industry Hills G.C. (Eisenhower Course), City of Industry, Calif.
Orange Tree G.C., Orlando, Fla.
Huntsville G.C., Dallas, Pa.
Scotch Valley C.C., Hollidaysburg, Pa.
Holston Hills C.C., Knoxville, Tenn.
Thursday, May 19 (7)
Sewailo G.C., Tucson, Ariz.
Granite Bay G.C., Granite Bay, Calif.
Kensington G. & C.C., Naples, Fla.
Indian River Club, Vero Beach, Fla.
ArborLinks, Nebraska City, Neb.
River Landing (River Course), Wallace, N.C.
Cedar Creek G.C., San Antonio, Texas
