thevaporz
Handicap Index: 13.5
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Go Brian Smock (Coronado) and Steele!
May 09, 2016
The Longest Day in Golf occurred Monday, with 10 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifiers being held around the country. The California Sectional Qualifier rotates every other year between Northern California and Southern California, with the 2016 event being held at Lake Merced GC in Daly City. SCGA members competed around the country. The following advanced out of Sectionals and earned a coveted spot in the 2016 U.S. Open, which will be held June 13-19 at Oakmont CC in Pennsylvania.
PGA TOUR member Brendan Steele shot rounds of 66 and 68 at Wedgewood Golf & Country Club/Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club to finish fourth at the Powell, Ohio-based Sectional. Steele, originally from Idylwild, CA, has been playing well on TOUR as of late, with three Top-20 finishes in his last four events. This will be his second U.S. Open appearance, having qualified in 2013 but failing to make the cut.
Aaron Wise continued his memorable week, medaling at the Sectional Qualifier in Vancouver, Wash. just days after winning the individual NCAA Championship as well as the Team Championship with his fellow University of Oregon Ducks. Wise shot rounds of 67 and 68 at Royal Oaks CC to top the 55-player field by two strokes. This will be Wise's first U.S. Open appearance. Wise rose to fame last summer after winning the Pacific Coast Amateur and earning a runner-up finish at the SCGA Amateur Championship.
A frequent SCGA Tournament competitor who turned professional in 2015, Mark Anguiano earned his first U.S. Open apperance, qualifying out of the Lake Merced GC/The Olympic Club Sectional in Northern California. Anguiano, who currently plays on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, finished T2 at the qualifier after firing rounds of 66-68.
The SCGA hosted nine U.S. Open Local qualifiers in May, as some of the finest golfers began their journey to the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont CC in Pennsylvania. Five men advanced out of each local qualifier and moved on to Sectional Qualifying in June. Results from each of the local qualifiers held in Southern California are below.
Rico Hoey (a) (co-medalist)
Justin Suh (a) (co-medalist)
Jeremy Sanders
Alex Kim
Byron Smith
Tyler Collier (a) (medalist)
Cody Hall (a)
Howard Bernstein
Jonathan Sanders
Bruce Doucett (a)
Geoff Gonzalez (medalist)
Max Homa
Nahum Mendoza (a)
Kyle Mendoza
John Chin
David Bradshaw (medalist)
Allen Geiberger
Steven Gouirand
Pete Vilairatana
Mitchell Fedorka
Sahith Theegala (a) (medalist)
Clayton Chatterley (a)
Matt Hansen
Kyle Pollema
Matthew Pinizzotto
Kaiwen Liu (medalist)
Calib Ramirez (a)
Kurt Kitayama
Brandon Petalski
David Gazzolo
Joshua Rider (medalist)
Aaron Dexheimer
Brian Smock
Matt Picanso
Patrick Strandemo
Kenny Pigman (co-medalist)
Michael Reese (co-medalist)
Issei Tanabe (a) (co-medalist)
Ben Albin (a) (co-medalist)
Michael Block (co-medalist)
Pete Fernandez Jr. (a) (medalist)
Tain Lee
Mark Anguiano
Vinnie Poncino
Tanner Podres
Go Brian Smock (Coronado) and Steele!