Young SoCal stars to make U.S. Open debuts

June 13, 2017

It's a bucket list item for most competitive amateur golfers. Qualify for the U.S. Open before you turn professional.

This year, two SCGA members were able to add that feather to their caps, advancing through Sectional Qualifying at Big Canyon CC and Newport Beach CC earlier this month to earn their spot in the Erin Hills field.

Stewart Hagestad: The reigning U.S. Mid-Am champion and low am at the Masters in April played his way into the U.S. Open in front of a home crowd at Big Canyon CC, where he just recently won the club championship. Hagestad is very likely having the best year of any amateur golfer on the planet, and it will continue this week with his U.S. Open debut at Erin Hills. He will tee off at 5:29 a.m. PT Thursday in a group that includes Chez Reavie and Gene Sauers.

Sahith Theegala: Also making his Open debut is Sahith Theegala, who already checked a major item off his bucket list earlier this year when he qualified for the Genesis Open at Riviera CC and made the cut, ending up with a weekend pairing with Phil Mickelson. The Pepperdine star was a quarterfinalist in last year's U.S. Amateur, and helped the Waves advance to the NCAA Championship just last month. He tees off at 6:57 a.m. PT with fellow SoCal native Daniel Miernicki and Tyler Light.

But a U.S. Open debut is also an accomplishment for up-and-coming professionals. The following former SCGA stars will also be teeing it up in an Open for the first time.

Xander Schauffele: After retiring from his amateur career nearly two years ago, now-professional Xander Schauffele will also make his U.S. Open debut at Erin Hills after advancing through Sectional Qualifying in Tennessee. Schauffele, a former California Amateur Championship winner as well as San Diego State grad, tees off at 10:31 a.m. along with Trey Mullinax and Cameron Champ.

Kevin Dougherty: The Murrieta native and former CIF/SCGA Champ was the only professional to earn a qualifying spot from the Newport Beach sites last week. Currently playing on the Mackenzie Tour, Dougherty made his PGA TOUR debut earlier this year at the Genesis Open after securing a spot in Monday Qualifying. He begins Thursday's Round 1 action at 4:45 a.m. PT and plays with Talor Gooch and Jordan Niebrugge.



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