Hundreds still vying for their U.S. Open dreams
Jun 1, 2015, 9:03 AM | Updated: 11:07 am
Nearly 10,000 players started competing last month to gain entry into the U.S. Open, at 111 tournaments around the nation, hoping to grab one of the few spots available into the 156-player field at Chambers Bay. That number is now down to about 800 with 10 play-in tournaments left to go.
We’re just 14 days-away from U.S. Open week at Chambers Bay in Pierce County, but hundreds of golfers around the country are still trying to play their way into the championship.
And that’s what makes this tournament so special. Anyone can have the chance to make their way into the field.
The U.S. Open is truly open. Anyone can play their way in, as long as their handicap is a shade under two.
Nearly 10,000 players started competing last month, at 111 tournaments around the nation, hoping to grab one of the few spots available into the 156-player field at Chambers Bay. That number is now down to about 800 with 10 play-in tournaments left to go.
United States Golf Association Senior Historian Mike Trostel said that’s what makes this event so unique.
“If you have the skills to get in, you can get in this championship,” he said. “You don’t need to be a member of an exclusive club. You don’t need to be a professional, even. We’ve had a bunch of amateurs that have won this over the years.”
Ahren Young is one of those amateurs hoping to squeeze into the U.S. Open field. The Seattle University sophomore from Renton. He’s already made it through one round of qualifying and next week he has 36 holes in Cle Elum to play his way in.
“It’s unlike any other tournament,” Young said. “I can play in the tournament with the best players in the world.”
There are a handful of Washington golfers left in the qualifying field. All with a shot to play at Chambers Bay. What would it mean to make it in the Open?
“It’s like a golfer’s dream,” Young said. “It would be a dream come true just qualifying.”
To rub elbows with and share the locker room with Rory, Tiger, Phil and all the rest, would be unreal he said. “They’re the best players in the world. Not to say that I don’t believe in myself. It would just be a cool experience to be there.”
The exact number of spots available hasn’t been determined because PGA Tour players can still earn their way in with tournament play, but Young and others know that they have a chance.
And for USGA historian Trostel, that’s what makes this event such a huge deal.
“If you’re an American or live on American soil, it is the biggest championship of the year,” he said. “Talking to Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson all the way up to Tiger Woods, this is the one they wanted to win the most.”
