U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier: Storylines
The field of 55 players has been announced for the WSGA-hosted U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier on Monday, June 3 at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash.
Sectional qualifying, conducted over 36 holes, will take place at 10 different locations. Qualifiers from each spot will advance to the 2019 U.S. Open Championship held June 13-16 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.
Click here to view tee times and pairings for the qualifier at Wine Valley.
Storylines:
Wil Collins, 40, of Rapid City, S.D., is attempting to advance to the U.S. Open through both local and sectional qualifying for the third time. Collins, who qualified in 2005 and 2013 through both stages, has competed on the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and PGA Tour Canada. He won the 2001 Ben Hogan Award as college golf's top player while at the University of New Mexico.
Joe Highsmith
Joe Highsmith, 19, of Lakewood, Wash., was chosen 2019 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year as a member of the Pepperdine University team. Highsmith, who was also a first team All-WCC selection, tied for eighth at the conference championship, was fourth in the NCAA Austin Regional and tied for 24th in the NCAA Championship. He reached the quarterfinals of last year's U.S. Junior Amateur and qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
John Murdock, 22, of Laramie, Wyo., advanced to U.S. Open sectionals for the second consecutive year with a 70 in the Fort Collins, Colo., local qualifier. Murdock, who has played the classical violin since third grade, tied for fifth in the 2019 Mountain West Conference Championship as a senior for the University of Wyoming. He was a four-time all-state high school selection at Laramie High.
Michael Putnam
Michael Putnam, 36, of University Place, Wash., qualified for his fifth U.S. Open last year after shooting 73-64 in the Columbus, Ohio, sectional qualifier. He posted his best finish, tying for 35th, in 2017 at Erin Hills. Putnam was chosen 2013 Web.com Tour Player of the Year. He was an All-America player at Pepperdine University and a member of the 2005 USA Walker Cup Team. Putnam lives near Chambers Bay, the site of the 2015 U.S. Open.
Kevin Stadler, 39, of Denver, Colo., is the son of 1982 Masters champion Craig Stadler, who competed in 18 U.S. Opens. Kevin has played in three U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 63rd in 2014 at Pinehurst No. 2. He has won on the PGA Tour (2014 Waste Management Phoenix Open) and the PGA European, Nationwide (now Web.com) and Challenge tours.
Sam Tidd
Sam Tidd, 19, of Meridian, Idaho, is a freshman on the University of Oklahoma golf team. He and partner Carson Barry have competed in two U.S. Amateur Four-Balls and were semifinalists in 2018. Tidd captured the 2017 5A state high school championship and was runner-up the following year. Tidd helped Rocky Mountain High claim two Idaho 5A state titles.
Noah Woolsey, 20, of Pleasanton, Calif., tied for 13rd in the 2019 Pac-12 Conference Championship as a sophomore on the University of Washington team. He posted two top-10 finishes this season. Woolsey has played in four USGA championships, including two U.S. Amateurs (2015, 2018), and reached match play in the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur.
The final size of the field for each qualifier, along with the final number of available spots, will be announced on Monday, June 3. Scoring from all 10 qualifiers will be available at usopen.com/qualifying/sectional.html.
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