This Monday, 2 June, the final qualifiers for the US Open Championship took place. A true open. The tournament with the highest prize fund in the world, where a minor or a dentist can qualify. All you need is to play very well at golf and have the gift of opportunity on your side. In other words, play the best golf of your life on the right day.
732 players participated in ten qualifiers across the United States for 47 spots. No Spaniard made it. Pablo Ereño, who played in Valencia, California, was five shots short. Samuel Espinosa, who competed in Ohio, was further behind. As you know, David Puig withdrew before starting due to his back problems.
There are stories of all kinds and conditions. Surely, the most striking is that of Matt Vogt, a very good college golfer who never turned professional and does not make a living from the sport. He is 34 years old and works in a dental clinic. Yes, he is a dentist. He lives in Indianapolis, although he was born and raised half an hour from Oakmont. In fact, he was a caddie there for several years. We insist, he plays excellent golf, otherwise, he wouldn’t have secured his spot for the US Open. In fact, this year he won the PGA Indianapolis Open. However, getting into the US Open is a huge leap. “I knew I could do it,” he said emotionally right after finishing. The best smile of the US Open.
Another of those stories that this qualifier always leaves is that of Mason Howell, a 17-year-old who won his qualifier with two rounds of 63 strokes and without committing a single bogey in 36 holes. Probably the recklessness of youth. He will enter university next year.
Ryan McCormick has also qualified. It will be his first Major. He is a player on the Korn Ferry Tour, a veteran without much luck. A few months ago, he was the protagonist of a very curious story. During a round of golf on the Korn Ferry Tour, he decided to tape his mouth shut. The goal was to have a better attitude on the course, especially avoiding being hard on himself after bad shots. Now he will play the US Open. We don’t know if he will resort to the same technique at Oakmont.
Additionally, players like Ben James, one of the best amateurs in the world who is qualifying for the second consecutive year, the Mexicans Roberto Díaz, Álvaro Ortiz, and Emilio González, the Argentine Emiliano Grillo, the ‘DP World Tour’ players Norgaard, Wallace, Olesen, and Perez, or Cameron Young have secured their spots at Oakmont. The latter achieved it in a playoff where five players competed for one spot. Among those who missed out in this playoff are Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, and Eric Cole.
As for the LIV Golf players, the harvest has not been particularly brilliant. The only one who has already secured his qualification is Marc Leishman, although there are others with chances, such as Graeme McDowell, in the only qualifier that could not be completed due to bad weather. He is playing in Florida. Nicolai Hojgaard is also there. From LIV, Kokrak, Muñoz, Pereira, and Uihlein, among others, have been left out.
Finally, in that qualifier that still needs to be completed, right now Luke Poulter is in a qualifying position for the US Open, the son of Ian Poulter.
Thus, the chances of being in the US Open are running out. Only the top 60 in the world next Monday remains, a route accessible to very few. As for the Spaniards, we will have two representatives at Oakmont: Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester.
