Johnson Wins Individual Title, and NDSU Wins the Team at Torrey Pines
March 27, 2024
Two former Minnesota State Amateur champions -- Tom Hoge (2009, '10) and Erik Van Rooyen (2012) -- are exempt for the 2022 U.S. Open. And on Monday, another player with Minnesota connections, Troy Merritt, reserved a spot for himself next week (June 16-19) at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
Merritt, a former basketball and golf star at Spring Lake Park High School, joined the party by navigating his way through the Sectional Qualifying at Springfield, Ohio. Matthys Doffue and Brian Stuard were co-medalists with 36-hole totals of 7-under-par 133 at Springfield Country Club. Merritt advanced by shooting 67-69--136, which put him in a four-way tie for fifth.
There were 77 players who started the qualifier, and they were competing for eight spots. That four-way tie for fifth at 136 made it a clean cut.
Missing by a single stroke at Springfield CC was Jon Trasamar, the former University of Minnesota star (he finished third individually in the 2014 Big Ten Championships) and 2013 Pine to Palm champion. He opened with a 71 on Monday but came back with a 66 in the afternoon and finished in a five-way tie for ninth at 137.
Also coming close was Austin Cook, a former PGA Tour winner and the grandson of former Minnesota State Open and State PGA champ John Cook. Austin shot 68-67--135 at a Sectional Qualifying in Dallas two weeks ago. (The Dallas sectional was one of two played on May 23; all the rest were played Monday). That 135 got him into a 6-for-2 playoff. He finished fourth in the playoff, which made him the second alternate from Dallas.
Frankie Capan, the 2020 Minnesota State Amateur champ and MGA Player of the Year, made five birdies and no bogeys at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club on Monday morning, while shooting a 67. That put him in a pretty good position to qualify from Columbus, Ohio, where 106 players were vying for 13 places in the Open. But he could manage only one birdie in the afternoon at Wedgewood Golf & Country Club and finished with a 2-over 73. The resulting 36-hole aggregate of 140 missed a 5-for-1 playoff by two shots.
Derek Hitchner succeeded Capan as both State Am champ and Player of the Year in 2021. He was in Purchase, N.Y., and was one of 92 players trying for five spots. Two bogeys and a double in his first nine holes at Old Oaks Country Club didn't bode too well for his chances of advancing, but he played the back nine in 2 under and salvaged a 2-over 72 from the round. He then birdied his first two holes at Century Country Club in the afternoon and was back to even for the day. A 14-hole stretch that included three bogeys and no birdies did him in, although he ended the round the way he started it -- with two birdiles. That gave him a 69 (1 under) and a 141 (1 over) for the day, and he missed an 8-for-3 playoff by three strokes.
2022 U.S. Open
At The Country Club
Brookline, Mass.
June 16-19
Sectional Qualifying
May 23
Dallas
At Lakewood CC, par 71
& at Royal Oaks CC, par 71
98 players for 13 spots
T1. Kurt Kitayama 65 (L) -66 (R) -- 131
T1. Matthew Nesmith 62 (R) -69 (L) -- 131
T1. Jinichiro Kozuma 68 (R) -63 (L) -- 131
T1. Sean Crocker 64 (R) -67 (L) -- 131
What it took to qualify -- 135 (6-for-2 playoff)
Did not qualify
T12. Austin Cook 68 (R) -67 (L) -- 135 (2nd alternate)
WD -- Taylor Sundbom 79 (R) WD (L)
All other U.S. Open qualifiers shown here were played Monday, June 6
Springfield, Ohio
At Springfield CC, par 70
77 players for 8 spots
T1. Matthys Daffue 67-66--133
T1. Brian Stuard 68-65--133
T3. Beau Hossler 67-68--135
T3. Maxwell Moldovou 66-69--135
T5. Troy Merritt 67-69--136
What it took -- 136 (4 players tied for 5th at 136)
Did not qualify
Jon Trasamar 71-66--137
Zach Skiebar 71-78--149
Will Frazier 80-81--161
Purchase, N.Y.
At Centrury CC, par 70
& at Old Oaks CC, par 70
92 players for 5 spots
T1. Chris Gotterup 67 (C) -70 (OO) -- 137
T1. Caleb Manuel (A) 69 (OO) -68 (CC) -- 137
T3. Brandon Matthews 70 (OO) -68 (C) -- 138
T3. Michael Thorbjornson 67 (OO) -71 (C) -- 138
T3. Fran Quinn 69 (OO) -69 (C) -- 138
What it took -- 138 (8-for-3 playoff)
Did not qualify
Derek Hitchner (a) 72 (OO) -69 (C) -- 141
Alex Beach 69 (C) -74 (OO) -- 143
Rockville, Md.
At Woodmont CC - North Course, par 72
72 players for 4 spots
1. Joseph Bramlett 66-70--136
2. Grayson Murray 66-72--138
T3. Kevin Chappell 69-72--141
T3. Andrew Beckler 69-72--141
What it took -- 141 (2 players tied for third at 141)
Did not qualify
Josh Persons (a) 73-71--144
Derek Chang 77-74--151
Brett Reid (a) 79-81--160
Columbus, Ohio
At Kinsale G&FC, par 72
& at Wedgewood G&CC, par 71
106 players for 13 spots
T1. Lanto Griffin 69 (K) -62 (W) -- 131
T1. Chan Kim 62 (W) -69 (K) -- 131
3. Davis Riley 69 (K) -63 (W) -- 132
4. Chris Naegel 65 (W) -69 (K) -- 134
What it took -- 138 (5-for-1 playoff)
Did not qualify
Frankie Capan (a) 67 (K) -73 (W) -- 140
Ross Miller 68 (K) -75 (W) -- 143
Tommy Vining 71 (W) -72 (K) -- 143
Bennett Swavely 72 (W) -77 (K) -- 149
Angus Flanagan 74 (W) -79 (K) -- 153
Bend, Ore.
At Pronghorn Resort - Nicklaus Course, par 72
65 players for 3 spots
T1. Brady Calkins 68-68--136
T1. Isaiah Salinda 68-68--136
T3. Ben Lorenz 71-67--138
What it took -- 138 (2 for 1 playoff)
Did not qualify
Ben Warian 73-73--146
Jupiter, Fla.
At The Club @ Admiral's Cove, par 71
70 players for 4 spots
T1. Ryan Gerard 66-71--137
T1. Sean Jacklin 66-71--137
3. Keith Greene 70-68--138
4. Fred Biondi 72-67--139
What it took -- 139
Did not qualify
Rickie Fowler 73-67--140 (1st alternate)
WD -- Andrew McCain 74-WD
Roswell, Ga.
At Ainsley GC, par 72
68 players for 4 spots
T1. Chase Seiffert 69-68--137
T1. Harry Hall 71-66--137
T3. Erik Barnes 70-68--138
T3. Matt McCarty 71-67--138
What it took -- 138 (3-for-2 playoff)
WD Ben Sigel 74-WD
March 6, 2024
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