White Moves on to Next Stage of U.S. Open Qualifying After a 66 at Mendakota; Four Others Advance

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By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org


  MENDOTA HEIGHTS, Minn. – Fueled by five birdies over his final nine holes Tuesday, Cameron White fired a 6-under par 66 at Mendakota Country Club to earn medalist honors and move on with four others to the next stage of qualifying for the U.S. Open.

With three birdies and two bogeys on his front nine Tuesday, White turned at 1-under before rolling in five birdies in a span seven holes, missing a short birdie putt on the final hole to finish two shots ahead of the field at 66.

“It was a tough start to the day with a bogey right out of the gate,” White said Tuesday. “My length is my asset and I hit some drives and was able to make some great putts.

“I’ve played in enough of these qualifiers to know that you just have to play smart and let the birdies come to you. Today, I was rolling it well and it took a lot of pressure off the rest of my game.”

Beginning his day on the 10th tee, White reached the par-5 12th green in two, two-putting for birdie to draw even for the day before sinking a short birdie putt at the 13th to move below par.

Following a bogey at the 16th White rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th to move to 1-under before taking control of his round on the first tee.

“I think it was the drive on one that really got the round going,” White said. “I was kind of battling my swing [the front nine] and managed to get under par, which was my goal. I know there are four good birdie holes right out of the gate.”

White rolled in a birdie from two feet on the first to move to 2-under before rolling in another short birdie from inside three feet for his third birdie in four holes. Three consecutive birdies beginning at the fifth put White in the lead for good.

“Today I just played smart and didn’t really go at any pins unless I had a lob wedge or sand wedge in my hand and was 100 percent certain that I wasn’t going to get in trouble,” he said. “I played almost every par-3 to the middle of the green, but overall it was a good day.

“Last year [at Minneapolis Golf Club] I finished bogey-bogey and I was disappointed I wasn’t medalist, so I had a little chip on my shoulder and wanted to get it done this year. I’ve advanced five times but have never been medalist. I’ve got some stuff to work on but things are going in the right direction”

White, a former University of Minnesota golfer from Plymouth, Minn., played in one event on the Mackenzie Tour last season and in eight events on the Dakotas Tour, winning twice and amassing more than $33,000 in earnings.

Minnetonka High School senior Ben Sigel fired a 4-under par 68 to finish two shots back of White to claim the second qualifying spot.

“I got off to a decent start and I made some good putts—three putts outside of 20 feet so that helped a lot. Proximity to the hole was pretty average today, but I made some putts that I needed to make.”

Sigel, the top-ranked individual golfer in the state, rolled in a birdie from 15 feet at the third to quickly get to 1-under before drawing even with a bogey at the fifth. Sigel rolled in an 8-footer for birdie at the sixth before sinking back-to-back birdies at the eighth and ninth to turn at 3-under.

Wedging his approach inside of three feet at the par-4 11th, Sigel was in control at 4-under and added another birdie at the 13th, sinking his 20-foot putt from above the hole to get to 5-under.

He dropped a shot at the par-3 17th with a three-putt before missing a short birdie look on the final hole to card 68.

“I’ve been hitting the ball really well the last couple weeks and my game has been pretty consistent,” Sigel said Tuesday. “I knew if I hit fairways today that I would be in a good spot. I came in expecting to make it. I was trying to stay patient, there are plenty of holes to score on out here and the par-5’s are getable.”

Matt Tolan, Eau Claire, Wis., carded two birdies with one bogey on his opening nine before cruising over the final nine holes, carding two birdies to shoot 3-under par 69 to nab to finish third.

Former University of Illinois standout Charlie Danielson’s round of 70 earned him the fourth spot as he looks to return to the national championship for the second consecutive year. He skipped the opening round of qualifying thanks to his World Amateur Ranking and advanced from his sectional in Ohio.

Danielson posted a score of 159 during the first two rounds last season at Oakmont Country Club, missing the cut by 12 shots. On Tuesday, Danielson started the scoring with back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th holes before giving back a stroke with a bogey at the 15th and would turn at 1-under.

He would get to 2-under with a birdie at the par-4 third before recording a double-bogey at the fourth to fall back to even. The four-time All-American bounced back by rolling in three birdies over his final five holes with one more bogey to finish fourth at 2-under par 70.

“It was solid round and I took care of the par-5’s,” Danielson said following his round Tuesday. “I hit some silly iron shots on a couple of the par-3’s and didn’t convert and wasted a couple shots. I didn’t think 70 would be good enough—I thought I had to get to 3-under.

“Obviously I’d like to go out and win. I was thinking 66 would be a nice score out here but the course isn’t set up easy and I’m not disappointed finishing under par.”

Danielson turned pro after graduating a year ago, playing in five PGA Tour events before winning a Monday qualifier to earn a spot in the 2017 Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort in Tampa, Fla., where he finished tied for 62nd. He’s collected more than $68,500 since turning pro a year ago.

“I’ve been doing some qualifiers and mini tours to stay fresh and basically getting ready for Web.com [qualifying school]. I missed it last year, but if I can get into a couple of Web.com events and play well that would ride me out to the end of the year. If not, I’ll just try to get my game as sharp as I can.”

Prior Lake, Minn., native John Hafdal grabbed the final qualifying position Tuesday, following a five-way playoff for the final spot, rolling in birdie on the second playoff hole. Hafdal played his front nine at even par with a birdie and bogey before recording a pair of birdies with one bogey over the final nine holes to shoot 71.

Chad Merzbacher, Knoxville, Tenn., and Ross Miller, Maple Grove, Minn., finished as first and second alternates, respectively, after both players carded rounds of 1-under par 71 during the qualifier.

With 51 players already exempt into this year’s championship, a total of 8,979 players entered local qualifiers looking for one of the final 105 spots. Sectional qualifiers will begin May 22 at 10 locations in the U.S. and two international qualifiers.

The 117th U.S. Open will be played June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.