SPORTS

Big names among those to play in crowded Columbus U.S. Open qualifying

Julie Williams
Golfweek
Rickie Fowler walks away from the 17th green during the second round of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio on Friday, June 4, 2021.

Qualifying is at the core of U.S. Golf Association championships. The USGA's annual championship schedule includes hundreds of them - all of which went by the wayside (along with 10 of those 14 championship) in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But with 110 U.S. Open Local Qualifiers in the books, plus one Final Qualifier, the drama is definitely back.

On Monday June 7, nine 36-hole Local Qualifiers will be played around the country to fill the field for the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. What's been called "golf's longest day" brings the qualifying drama like no other championship.

Local qualifiers sites

Rolling Hills Country Club, Rolling Hills Estates, California

The Bear's Club, Jupiter, Florida

Piedmont Driving Club, Atlanta, Georgia

Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Maryland

Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, New York

Brookside Golf & Country Club and The Lakes Golf & Country Club, Columbus, Ohio

Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio

Long Cove Club, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Meadow Springs Country Club, Richland, Washington

What you need to know

It will be televised

Players used to gut it out in U.S. Open Final Qualifying in relative obscurity. Not the case anymore.

Golf Channel is offering coverage of "golf's longest day" in in three windows: 7-9 a.m., Noon-2 p.m. and 6 p.m.-midnight ET.

Big numbers, big opportunity

Anyone (with a low enough handicap) can play their way into the U.S. Open, but the numbers of those who attempt it are staggering. Five hundred players moved on from a mind-blowing 8,680 who entered Local Qualifying. A total of 845 players will now compete in Final Qualifying for a number of spots yet to be determined.

Most of the nine qualifiers have somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 players. In Columbus, Ohio, 120 players will tee it up. On the other end of the spectrum, only 52 will start the day in Hilton Head and 45 in Richland, Washington.

Who will be there?

Final Qualifying fields include everyone from top juniors to college players to mid-amateurs to professionals, from the mini tours to the PGA Tour.

At Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, 59-year-old Bob Royak, the reigning U.S. Senior Amateur champion, will try to play his way into the field.

The Bear's Club qualifier in Jupiter, Florida, includes 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover.

Top mid-amateurs Garrett Rank, the 2019 Western Amateur champion, and Stewart Hagestad, a three-time U.S. Walker Cupper, will try to qualify out of Purchase, New York, and Rolling Hills Estates, California, respectively.

Top junior Kelly Chinn, the AJGA's Rolex Player of the Year in 2020, will play close to home at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. Reigning U.S. Junior champion Preston Summerhays, Luke Potter, Cohen Trolio and Benjamin James are among other juniors at various sites.

Interestingly, in Columbus — just down the road from Muirfield Village Golf Club where the Memorial Tournament will have just wrapped up on Sunday — a bevy of Tour players are looking to play their way in. That includes major winners Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner and Padraig Harrington as well as Rickie Fowler, Chez Reavie, Rory Sabbatini and Charley Hoffman.

There are two many college players — and fresh college graduates — to count.

Here's one streak to watch

Speaking of Hagestad, the 30-year-old is quite versed in this format.

Notably, Hagestad qualified for three consecutive U.S. Opens before 2020, when qualifying was canceled. Can he make a fourth this year?