| All Set for Final Stage |
Final qualifiers, often referred to as "Golf's Longest Day," are rigorous tests that require players to complete 36 holes in a single day. These qualifiers not only assess players' skills but also their endurance and mental fortitude.
Some notable details about the field include the presence of Davis Love III, the 1997 PGA Champion and the oldest scheduled player at 59 years old. The youngest player is PJ Mayback, the sole 18-year-old participant. Among the competitors, there are 29 amateurs and 49 professionals who will begin teeing off at 7 am on Monday. Some locals in the field include Jordan Gilkison, a Springboro native and Kent State golfer, Austin Greaser, a Vandalia native and Tar Hills golfer, Dhaivat Pandya, a Dayton native and recent graduate from the University of Kentucky, and Domenic Maricocchi, a former Dayton Flyer golfer.  In terms of accomplishments, the field boasts a combined 34 PGA Tour wins, with Davis Love leading the way with 21 victories. Additionally, there are 14 Korn Ferry wins among the competitors. Qualifiers from last year who are back again this year include MJ Daffue, Beau Hossler, Maxwell Moldovan, Troy Merritt, Bo Hoag, Samuel Stevens, and Nick Hardy. Nick Hardy was the 1st Alternate last year but managed to secure a spot in the US Open and impressively tied for 14th place. Brian Stuard, who is returning for his 12th appearance, has had a successful track record in previous years, making it into the tournament in 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2014, and 2013. Brian also earned the distinction of being the Medalist or Co-Medalist in four of those years. |
- For the U.S. Open qualifiers, the second and final stage is set to take place on Monday, June 6th. More than 500 players advanced through local qualifying, while over 400 others received exemptions. These hopefuls will compete at eleven final qualifying sites, including one administered by Miami Valley Golf at Springfield CC, two international sites in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and Surrey, England, and eight others across the United States. With the exception of Japan and Dallas, which were contested last Monday, and Surrey, which took place two weeks prior, the remaining final qualifiers will be held on Monday.
Qualifying for the U.S. Open Championship depends on both the quantity and quality of the field. This year, 78 players are vying for the coveted qualifying positions. In most years, final qualifying accounts for nearly half of the 156-player field in the U.S. Open. Lucas Glover, the 2009 champion at Bethpage Black, is the most recent final qualifier to win the tournament. In 2005, Michael Campbell won the championship at Pinehurst No. 2 after advancing from the Walton Heath final in the United Kingdom, validating the USGA's decision to add international qualifying sites. The last golfer to endure both stages of qualifying and win the U.S. Open was Orville Moody in 1969. 