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Hopefuls Seek Spot in 2014 U.S. Open Via Sectional Qualifying Next Monday
Every year the USGA provides editors a list of storylines for all the U.S. Open section qualifiers around the U.S. This year qualifying will take place on June 2 at 10 American sites.
The players pursuing their dreams of winning a U.S. Open title range from fuzzy-cheeked teenage amateurs to grizzled touring pros to former major champions to hopeful club pros.
The players who emerge from the 36-hole sectional qualifying will earn a spot in the U.S. Open, to be held June 12-15 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.
The 10 sites for the sectional qualifiers include:
Lake Merced Golf Club & The Olympic Club (Ocean Course), Daly City, Calif.
Quail Valley Golf Club, Vero Beach, Fla.
Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga.
Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md.
Old Oaks Country Club & Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.
Brookside Golf & Country Club & Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio
Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio
Emerald Valley Golf Club, Creswell, Ore.
Colonial Country Club (North & South Courses), Memphis, Tenn.
Lakeside Country Club, Houston, Texas
The size of the field for each qualifier, along with the number of available spots, will be announced later this week. Scoring from all 10 qualifiers will be available at http:///www.usopen.com/en_US/news/qualifying/sectional.html. For additional information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Here are some of the more compelling storylines, courtesy of the USGA.
Lake Merced Golf Club & The Olympic Club (Ocean Course)
Daly City, Calif.; 110 players for TBD spots
• Casey Boyns, 58, of Monterey, Calif., has caddied at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links for 30 years. He is a member of the California Golf Hall of Fame and has won two state amateurs (1989, 1993). Boyns was a 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist.
• Jeff Brehaut, of Los Altos, Calif., has played on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour. Brehaut, who celebrates his 51st birthday on June 13, tied for 23rd in the 2013 U.S. Senior Open at Omaha Country Club and will attempt to qualify again this year. Brehaut has played in two U.S. Opens and tied for 17th in 2007.
• David Byrne, of Canada, won Golf Channel's Big Break Indian Wells in 2011. He was named 2010 Horizon League Player of the Year as a member of the University of Detroit-Mercy team.
• Brian Campbell, of Irvine, Calif., shared medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying at Illini Country Club. Campbell, a junior on the University of Illinois team, was named the 2014 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year. Scott Langley (2010) and Luke Guthrie (2012) also earned the conference's top award as Illinois golfers, and both played in the 2013 U.S. Open.
• Garrett Chaussard, of Chicago, is a PGA instructor at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club who has played on the Canadian and Gateway Tours. Chaussard, a quarterfinalist at the 2000 U.S. Junior Amateur, advanced to the 2008 U.S. Open out of both local and sectional qualifying. Chaussard attended Junipero Serra High School, the same Northern California school that produced Tom Brady and Barry Bonds.
• John Chin, of Temecula, Calif., competes on the Web.com Tour and always marks his ball with a quarter from the 1960s. He was the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links runner-up and played in the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2.
• Zecheng Dou, 17, of the People's Republic of China, advanced to the quarterfinals of both the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Junior Amateur. In 2012, he became the youngest player to make the cut in the history of the Volvo China Open, a European Tour event, and eventually tied for 33rd. Dou tied for fourth at the 2013 Asia-Pacific Amateur.
• Jason Gore, 40, has competed in four U.S. Opens. He played in the final group with Retief Goosen on Sunday in the 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, but an 84 dropped him into a tie for 49th. He was a member of the winning 1997 USA Walker Cup Team.
• Brandon Hagy, of Westlake Village, Calif., is a two-time All-American at • the University of California-Berkeley. Hagy, who was a semifinalist in the 2012 U.S. Amateur, has been named to the All-Pacific 12 Conference squad three times.
• Cory McElyea, of Santa Cruz, Calif., advanced to the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club through local and sectional qualifying. He was one of 10 amateurs to advance to the championship field. McElyea earned All-West Coast Conference honors at the University of San Francisco this year.
• Maverick McNealy, 18, of Portola Valley, Calif., was named to the 2014 Pacific-12 Conference All-Freshman Team as a member of the Stanford squad. He advanced to the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinals and reached the second round last year. McNealy was a defenseman for the San Jose Junior Sharks, an AAU ice hockey team that captured two state titles.
• Michael Miles, 52, of Huntington Beach, Calif., has played in two U.S. Opens (1987, 2009). A 1981 U.S. Amateur Public Links quarterfinalist, Miles was the assistant pro at Virginia Country Club, in Long Beach, Calif., for 22 years.
• Todd Miller, 34, is the son of 1973 U.S. Open champion and NBC-TV golf analyst Johnny Miller. Todd is the director of golf operations and associate head coach for the men's and women's programs at Brigham Young University.
• Jack Newman, of Des Moines, Iowa, won the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. He tied for 65th at the 2009 Masters Tournament. Newman, an All-Big Ten Conference selection at Michigan State University, competes on the PGA Tour Canada.
• Mike Springer, 48, of Fresno, Calif., has played in three U.S. Opens, with his last start in 1995 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Springer has won twice on the PGA Tour and four times on the Nationwide Tour (now Web.com).
• Kevin Sutherland recently received a special exemption from qualifying for the 2014 U.S. Senior Open, as he turns 50 on July 4, six days before the championship. Sutherland has played in nine U.S. Opens and tied for 67th last year at Merion Golf Club.
• Derek Tolan, of Highlands Ranch, Colo., played in the 2002 U.S. Open at age 16, having made a 50-foot birdie chip on the first playoff hole at sectional qualifying to advance to Bethpage State Park's Black Course. Tolan later qualified for the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links. He was an honorable mention All-American at the University of Colorado.
Quail Valley Golf Club, Vero Beach, Fla.; 55 players for TBD spots
• Tyson Alexander, of Gainesville, Fla., advanced through a playoff in local qualifying and hopes to join his father and grandfather to make three generations of U.S. Open golfers. His father, Buddy, is the 1986 U.S. Amateur champion and recently retired as the University of Florida's golf coach. His grandfather, Skip, tied for 11th in the 1948 Open, held at Riviera Country Club.
• Matt Ceravolo, of Wellington, Fla., won the 2008 Florida Boys' Junior championship. His father, Joe, played basketball at SMU from 1977-80. His grandfather, Joe Sr., served as chairman of the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame Election Committee.
• Marco Dawson, 50, of Merritt Island, Fla., has played on both the PGA and Web.com Tours. Dawson has competed in two U.S. Opens (1997, 2003). He will also attempt to qualify for this year's U.S. Senior Open. Dawson played at Florida Southern College with Rocco Mediate and Lee Janzen.
• Andres Echavarria, of Colombia, is the oldest of three golf-playing brothers. The 26-year-old earned All-America honors and won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship at the University of Florida. His brother Miguel played at the University of Michigan. His youngest brother, Nicolas, advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 and 2012 U.S. Junior Amateurs and recently completed his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas.
• Nicolas Echavarria, of Colombia, will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open at the same sectional site as his brother, Andres. He advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 and 2012 U.S. Junior Amateurs and recently completed his sophomore season at the University of Arkansas.
• Sam Horsfield, of England, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur. He reached the round of 16 at last year's U.S. Amateur Public Links and carded a 61 in sectional qualifying. The 17-year-old won the 2013 Florida State Amateur by 11 strokes with a 72-hole total of 278. Horsfield, who has lived in Florida since age 5, has won three consecutive City of Orlando Amateurs and fired a 10-under 60 in last year's first round.
• Lion Kim, of Lake Mary, Fla., won the 2010 U.S. Amateur Public Links and played in the 2011 Masters Tournament. Kim, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, was a two-time All-American at the University of Michigan.
• Chase Koepka, of West Palm Beach, Fla., shot a 66 to earn medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying. A sophomore at the University of South Florida, he reached the second round of last year's U.S. Amateur. His brother, Brooks, competes on the PGA European and Challenge tours. Brooks qualified for his second U.S. Open at this year's England sectional.
• Hank Lebioda, of Winter Springs, Fla., is a sophomore on the Florida State University golf team. He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in December 2012 and had surgery to remove part of his small intestine. After changing his diet and sleep schedule, Lebioda returned to golf and was named 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Rookie of the Year.
• Jack Maguire, 19, of Saint Petersburg, Fla., was exempt locally and is attempting to qualify at the same site as his older brother, M.J., who plays at the University of North Florida. Jack recently completed his freshman season on the Florida State University golf team. He won the 2013 Florida Class 2A state championship.
• M.J. Maguire, 21, is an All-America and All-Atlantic Sun Conference performer at the University of North Florida. He is attempting to qualify at the same sectional site as his younger brother, Jack, who plays at Florida State.
• Justin Smith, 37, of Stuart, Fla., won Golf Channel's inaugural Big Break. He attended the University of Nevada and has captured 52 professional wins on various mini-tours.
• Tom Stankowski, 48, of Fort Myers, Fla., is the brother of Paul Stankowski, who has played in four U.S. Opens and won two PGA Tour events. Tom played in the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.
• Curtis Thompson, of Coral Springs, Fla., is an All-America and first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player at Louisiana State University. His sister, Alexis (Lexi), is an LPGA Tour player who captured her first major championship (Kraft Nabisco) this year. His brother, Nicholas, is attempting to qualify for his fourth U.S. Open at the Columbus, Ohio, sectional.
• Lee Williamson, of Winter Garden, Fla., is the head instructor at Stoneybrook West Golf Club. Williamson, the 2002 U.S. Amateur Public Links runner-up, has played on the Web.com and Canadian tours.
Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga.; 31 players for TBD spots
• Doug Hanzel, 57, of Savannah, Ga., won the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. He was low amateur in the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Senior Opens. Hanzel, who uses an insulin pump to control his diabetes, was the first player in USGA history to advance to match play at the U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur in the same year (2012).
• Brandon Hartzell, of St. Paul, Minn., is from a family of athletes. His father, Kevin, was a member of the University of Minnesota's 1979 NCAA ice hockey championship team, where he played for 1980 Olympic gold medal-winning coach Herb Brooks. His mother, Mary Beth, played on the University of Minnesota basketball team. His brother, Eric, is a goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins' American Hockey League (AHL) team.
• Sean Moore, of Southern Pines, N.C., is the assistant professional at Pinehurst Resort's Course No. 8 and advanced from U.S. Open local qualifying through a five-man, nine-hole playoff. Car headlights were used to illuminate the final hole when he made a 15-foot birdie putt. His wife, the former Mandy Goins, an assistant professional at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club and Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, attempted to qualify for this year's U.S. Women's Open.
• Andrew Orischak, 15, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., shot a 6-under 65 to garner medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying on May 12. One week later he was the Class 3A state runner-up and led Hilton Head Island High to a third-place team finish.
• Garrett Rank, 26, of Canada, was the runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He overcame a cancer scare at age 23, giving him a new outlook on life. Rank, the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links medalist, is a minor league professional hockey referee.
• Oliver Schniederjans, 20, of Powder Springs, Ga., is an All-America and All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) player at Georgia Tech University. He finished as the 2014 NCAA Division I runner-up (losing to Cameron Wilson on the third playoff hole) and was one of three Tech players to qualify for last year's U.S. Amateur.
Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md.; 59 players for TBD spots
• Patrick Cantlay, 22, of Long Beach, Calif., has played in two U.S. Opens and was the low amateur in 2011, tying for 21st. Cantlay reached the 2011 U.S. Amateur final (losing to Kelly Kraft) and was a member of the 2011 USA Walker Cup Team. Cantlay captured his first professional victory on the Web.com Tour in March 2013.
• Jeff Curl, of Birmingham, Ala., is attempting to qualify for his second U.S. Open. His father, Rod, is a full-blooded Native American who won the PGA Tour's 1974 Colonial National Invitation. His brother, Rod, is the head golf professional at Hammock Creek Golf Club in Florida.
• Adam Decker, 39, of Mechanicsville, Va., is in his ninth season as the head coach of the University of Richmond golf team. He was named 2010 Atlantic-10 Conference Coach of the Year and has led the Spiders to an NCAA regional appearance and five tournament titles.
• Eric Egloff, 49, of Rockville, Md., is a former PGA Tour caddie who worked for Kelly Gibson and John Morse. A high school friend, Paul Graham, was the road manager for the band Hootie and the Blowfish and the group sponsored Egloff in his playing career at one time.
• Jack Fields, of Southern Pines, N.C., won the 2011 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. The former University of North Carolina standout grew up near the course and attended Pinecrest High School.
• Taylor Funk, of Ponte Vedra, Fla., is the son of 2009 U.S. Senior Open champion Fred Funk. Taylor, a freshman on the University of Texas golf team, won the 2013 Florida high school Class 2A championship.
• Mark Hill, of Media, Pa., was a Minor League baseball player after a collegiate career as an infielder at George Mason University. His cousin, Bob Horner, was an All-Star with the Atlanta Braves and the 1978 National League Rookie of the Year.
• Jim Roy, 54, of Syracuse, N.Y., is attempting to make his first U.S. Open appearance since 1989. Roy, who has played in two U.S. Opens and 10 USGA championships, has competed on the Champions Tour.
• Brad Schneider, of Valrico, Fla., received the David Toms Award, given to a college golfer who has overcome adversity to achieve excellence. Schneider was playing football with his friends seven years ago when his right leg caught behind him. Following nine surgeries and four months in bed, he learned to walk properly again and eventually began playing golf.
• Michael Tobiason Jr., of Wilmington, Del., advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying for the fourth consecutive year. Tobiason, who wears black socks during competition, played at Congressional Country Club in the 2011 U.S. Open.
• Mike Van Sickle, of Wexford, Pa., shot a 3-under 69 to earn medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying. His father, Gary, is a golf writer for Sports Illustrated. Van Sickle was a first-team All-American at Marquette University.
Old Oaks Country Club & Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.; 80 golfers for TBD spots
• Bill Britton, 58, of Rumson, N.J., has played in five U.S. Opens, the last one in 1989. Britton is considered one of New Jersey's top teaching professionals. In 1990, he recorded top-10 finishes in the Masters Tournament and PGA Championship.
• Christopher DeForest, of Cottekill, N.Y., qualified for his first U.S. Open in 2011 with an eagle on the second playoff hole at the St. Charles, Ill., sectional. DeForest was an all-Big Ten Conference performer at Illinois. His father, John, is the head professional at Rondout Valley Golf Club in Accord, N.Y., and will attempt to qualify for this year's U.S. Senior Open.
• Scott Dunlap, 50, of Duluth, Ga., has played in five U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 24th in 1997. Dunlap, who is in his first year on the Champions Tour, has played on the PGA, Web.com, Canadian and Sunshine tours and has won professional events in six countries.
• Bob Ford, 60, of Oakmont, Pa., is the head professional at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club and Seminole Golf Club in Florida. Ford, who is the oldest player to advance through local qualifying this year, has played in three U.S. Opens, including a tie for 26th in 1983.
• Brian Gaffney, 43, of Darien, Conn., made a double eagle on the 508-yard, par-5 12th hole at Bedens Brook Club en route to earning medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying. Gaffney, who shot 3-under 69 in the local qualifier, qualified for his first U.S. Open in 2012. He is the head professional at Quaker Ridge Golf Club, the site of the 1997 Walker Cup Match.
• Gavin Hall, 19, of Pittsford, N.Y., is a freshman on the University of Texas golf team. He was the youngest player in last year's U.S. Open field after qualifying through both local and sectional play. Hall made a hole-in-one during a U.S. Open practice round at Merion Golf Club.
• Zachary Herr, 19, of New Hope, Pa., is a freshman on the Vanderbilt University golf team. Herr, who advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur, raised funds as a teenager in honor of his mother, Cyndie, who was battling colon cancer at the time. In its first two years, the "Zach Attacks Cancer Foundation" raised $85,000 for research.
• Lee Janzen, 49, won the 1993 and 1998 U.S. Opens, making him one of 18 players with multiple U.S. Open titles. He has not played in the Open since 2008. Janzen is the only U.S. Open champion entered in sectional qualifying.
• Mike McCoy, 51, of West Des Moines, Iowa, won the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship and became the second-oldest winner. McCoy, who earned a 2014 Masters Tournament exemption, has played in 38 USGA championships. He will compete in this year's U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National in Edmond, Okla.
• Trevor Murphy, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., qualified for his first U.S. Open in 2009 at the same sectional site. He shot a 56 in the Nationwide Children's Hospital pro-am at Ohio State University's Gray Course. Murphy was an elite-level skier and was on same team with Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn.
• Cody Paladino, of Kensington, Conn., was the 2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links runner-up, losing to Colt Knost, 6 and 4, in the final. Paladino, who played collegiately at Baylor, turned professional last January and competes on PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
• Steve Scott was the 1996 U.S. Amateur runner-up to Tiger Woods, losing in 38 holes. Scott, who is the head professional at Paramount Country Club in New City, N.Y., played on the PGA, Web.com and Canadian Tours. He was a member of two USA Walker Cup Teams, in 1997 and 1999.
• Geoffrey Sisk, 49, of Marshfield, Mass., is attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open through both the local and sectional levels for a seventh time. He qualified through both tiers in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2013. In 2003, 2007 and 2013, he advanced in sectional qualifiers at Old Oaks and Century country clubs.
• Nathan Smith, 35, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion who holds the record for the most victories in the championship. He has played on three USA Walker Cup Teams and helped the Americans defeat Great Britain & Ireland last year.
• Sean Szerencsits, of Coplay, Pa., is a dealer at Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pa. He played at the University of Alabama before spending six years competing on Florida mini-tours. Szerencsits returned to Pennsylvania in 2013 and worked as an assistant professional at Southmoore Golf Club.
• Cameron Wilson, 21, of Rowayton, Conn., won the 2014 NCAA Division I Championship, defeating Georgia Tech's Oliver Schniederjans with a 10-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole. Wilson, a senior at Stanford, qualified for the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, and has competed in three U.S. Amateurs.
Brookside Golf & Country Club & Scioto Country Club, Columbus, Ohio; 120 players for TBD spots
• Robert Allenby, 42, has competed in 14 U.S. Opens and has four top-25 finishes. His best performance is a tie for seventh in 2004.
• Stuart Appleby, 43, has played in 14 U.S. Opens. His best finish came in 1998 when he tied for 10th at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
• Woody Austin, 50, has competed in seven U.S. Opens and tied for 23rd in 1996. Austin, who will play in his first U.S. Senior Open this year, owns four PGA Tour victories.
• Ricky Barnes, 33, won the 2002 U.S. Amateur Championship, defeating Hunter Mahan in the final. He tied for second at the 2009 U.S. Open, held at Bethpage State Park's Black Course. He also qualified for the 2000 U.S. Open as a 19-year-old amateur.
• Paul Casey, 36, of England, has played in 10 U.S. Opens and tied for 10th in 2007 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Casey has won 12 times on the European Tour, including last year's Irish Open. He won the 2009 Shell Houston Open for his lone PGA Tour victory.
• Kevin Chappell, 27, a PGA Tour player, has competed in three consecutive U.S. Opens. He tied for third in 2011 at Congressional Country Club and tied for 10th the following year at The Olympic Club. He was a first-team All-American as a collegian at UCLA.
• K.J. Choi, 44, has competed in 13 consecutive U.S. Opens and must advance through sectional qualifying to extend his streak. Choi has eight PGA Tour wins, including the The Players Championship in 2011.
• Derek Ernst, 24, of Las Vegas, Nev., was the runner-up in the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links. In 2013, Ernst advanced out of U.S. Open local qualifying one week after winning the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship. He reached the third round in the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur.
• Luke Guthrie, 24, qualified for his first U.S. Open last year at the Columbus, Ohio, sectional when he made a birdie to survive an 11-for-7 playoff. He shot rounds of 69 and 67 earlier in the day. Guthrie, an All-American and Big Ten Conference Player of the Year at the University of Illinois, has won twice on the Web.com Tour.
• Hunter Haas, 37, of Fort Worth, Texas, won the 1999 U.S. Amateur Public Links and was a member of the 1999 USA Walker Cup Team. Haas, who was a semifinalist in the 1999 U.S. Amateur, has won four times on the Web.com Tour.
• Kevin Hall, 31, of Cincinnati, Ohio, has been deaf since age 2 due to a bout with meningitis. He has competed on the NGA Tour (formerly Hooters Tour) since he won the 2004 Big Ten Conference championship and led Ohio State to the team title. He was the 2012 Ohio Open runner-up, losing on the second playoff hole.
• Tim Herron, 44, posted his best finish in a U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 when he was sixth in 1999. Herron, who has played in 11 U.S. Opens, has four PGA Tour victories.
• Trevor Immelman, 34, of South Africa, the winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament, has played in eight U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for 21st in 2006. Immelman won the 1998 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, defeating Jason Dufner in the final.
• Brandt Jobe, 48, of Argyle, Texas, has competed in 12 U.S. Opens. His best finish was a tie for 18th in 2008. He tied for 33rd at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2005.
• Michael Kim, 20, of Houston, Texas, turned professional last December after playing on the winning 2013 USA Walker Cup Team. As a sophomore at the University of California-Berkeley, Kim was named Golfweek/Sagarin Player of the Year and Pacific-12 Conference Golfer of the Year. He finished as low amateur in last year's U.S. Open, tying for 17th.
• Colt Knost, 28, won both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links championships in 2007, joining Ryan Moore as the only players to win both championships in the same year. Knost, who played on the winning 2007 USA Walker Cup Team, has two victories on the Web.com Tour.
• Justin Leonard, 41, the 1997 British Open champion, has competed in 16 U.S. Opens. His best finish is a tie for 12th in 2002. He won the 1992 U.S. Amateur and was the 1994 NCAA Division I individual champion. He also played on the 1993 USA Walker Cup Team.
• Davis Love III, 50, has competed in 23 U.S. Opens and owns five top-10 finishes, including a tie for second in 1996. Love has 20 PGA Tour wins, including the 1997 PGA Championship. He served as United States captain for the 2012 Ryder Cup.
• Jordan Niebrugge, 20, of Mequon, Wis., was a member of the victorious 2013 USA Walker Cup Team. In 2013, he won the U.S. Amateur Public Links, the Western Amateur, the Wisconsin State Amateur and the Wisconsin State Match Play. He is a sophomore at Oklahoma State University, where he competes on the golf team.
• Zach Norris, 16, of McKee, Ky., shot a 3-under 69 to advance out of U.S. Open local qualifying. Norris led Jackson County High School to the 2012 All "A" state tournament title and was named the 2013 Region Player of the Year.
• Vijay Singh, 51, has competed in 18 U.S. Opens and has seven top-10 finishes. Singh, who will play in his first U.S. Senior Open this year, fared well in both U.S. Opens at Pinehurst No. 2. He tied for third in 1999 and tied for sixth in 2005.
• Justin Thomas, of Goshen, Ky., is playing on the Web.com Tour after leading Alabama to the 2013 NCAA Division I championship and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title. Thomas, a member of the victorious 2013 USA Walker Cup Team, was a semifinalist in the 2012 U.S. Amateur and the runner-up in the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur.
• Michael Thompson, 29, tied for second behind Webb Simpson in the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club, in San Francisco. Thompson, the 2007 U.S. Amateur runner-up, was the low amateur in the 2008 U.S. Open. He won the PGA Tour's Honda Classic in 2013.
• Nicholas Thompson, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is attempting to qualify for his fourth U.S. Open. His brother, Curtis, is playing in the Vero Beach, Fla., sectional qualifier. Their sister, Alexis (Lexi), is an LPGA Tour player who claimed her first major championship (Kraft Nabisco) this year.
• D.J. Trahan has played in three U.S. Opens. He won the 2000 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and was a member of the 2001 USA Walker Cup Team.
• Cameron Tringale was a member of the 2009 USA Walker Cup Team. He advanced to the third round in the 2009 U.S. Amateur and qualified for match play in the 2007 U.S. Amateur. Tringale was a three-time All-American at Georgia Tech University.
• Kevin Tway, of Edmond, Okla., won the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Tway, an honorable mention All-American at Oklahoma State University, is the son of Bob Tway, who competed in 18 U.S. Opens and tied for third in 1998.
• Bo Van Pelt is attempting to qualify for his eighth U.S. Open. His best finish is a tie for 11th in 2011 at Congressional Country Club. Van Pelt has won on five professional tours, including the PGA Tour and European Tour. His father, Bob, was chosen in the 1967 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Camilo Villegas has competed in seven U.S. Opens, including a tie for ninth in 2008. The native of Colombia was the runner-up in the 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur to Hunter Mahan. Villegas' brother, Manuel, has also advanced to the Columbus, Ohio, sectional.
• Manuel Villegas, of Colombia, and his brother, Camilo, are attempting to qualify at the Columbus, Ohio, sectional. Manuel has played on the Web.com Tour, NGA Tour and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
• Michael Weaver, 23, of Fresno, Calif., was a member of the victorious 2013 USA Walker Cup team. He was the 2012 U.S. Amateur runner-up and earned exemptions to the 2013 U.S. Open (tied for 64th) and Masters Tournament.
• Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters Tournament champion, has played in 12 U.S. Opens. Weir has four top-10 finishes, including a tie for third in 2003. He owns eight PGA Tour victories.
• Todd White, 46, was a member of the winning 2013 USA Walker Cup Team. He has competed in 12 USGA championships, including four U.S. Amateurs and three U.S. Mid-Amateurs. He played in the 1995 U.S. Open, held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
• Bill Williamson, 36, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was the runner-up in the 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur, losing to Mike McCoy in the final. Williamson, who has played in eight USGA championships, also finished second in the 2010 Ohio Amateur.
Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio; 63 players for TBD spots
• Ryan Armour was the 1993 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up to Tiger Woods, falling short in 19 holes at Waverley Country Club, in Portland, Ore. Armour went on to earn All-America and All-Big Ten Conference honors at Ohio State University. He is playing on the Web.com Tour.
• Blayne Barber, of Auburn, Ala., shot a 66 to earn medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying. Barber, a member of the 2011 USA Walker Cup Team, won the Web.com Tour's South Georgia Classic on May 4. In 2012, Barber disqualified himself for a Rules infraction at PGA Tour Q-School.
• Andrew Dorn, of West Chester, Ohio, won the 2013 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. Dorn, the 2013 Ohio Amateur champion, shot a course-record 66 to earn medalist honors in U.S. Open local qualifying at Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• Will Grimmer, 17, of Cincinnati, Ohio, shot an 11-under 59 in the second round of the 2013 North & South Junior Amateur at Pinehurst No. 1 and went on to finish fourth. A junior at Mariemont High School, Grimmer was the 2013 Ohio Division II state runner-up.
• Vince India, of Lakewood Ranch, Fla., carded the lowest score in 2014 U.S. Open local qualifying with a 10-under 61 at Waterlefe Golf & River Club in Bradenton, Fla. India, who made eight birdies and one eagle during his round, was the 2011 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year at Iowa and currently competes on the Web.com Tour.
• Hugo Leon became the second Chilean to play in the U.S. Open when he competed at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links in 2010. He advanced through sectionals as an alternate. Leon appeared in Golf Channel's Big Break X.
• Kenneth Li, 16, of Westmont, Ill., is a sophomore on the Hinsdale Central High School golf team. In 2013, Li helped lead the school to its second consecutive Illinois 3A state championship and was the state runner-up.
• Billy Mayfair, 47, has played in 14 U.S. Opens, tying for fifth in 2002 at Bethpage State Park's Black Course. Mayfair won the 1987 U.S. Amateur and 1986 U.S. Amateur Public Links, becoming the first player to win both titles.
• Jeffrey Scohy, of Bellbrook, Ohio, spent seven years on active duty as a U.S. Air Force acquisitions officer, rising to the rank of captain. Scohy is now in the Air Force Reserves as a major. He has made four trips to Iraq on temporary duty. Scohy, who has played in six U.S. Mid-Amateurs, has won three Armed Services golf championships.
• Ryan Yip, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was the medalist at his U.S. Open local qualifier with a 68. He joined PGA Tour Canada in 2007. Yip played at Kent State University, a program that produced 2003 British Open champion Ben Curtis. He was a semifinalist in the 2006 U.S. Amateur and a quarterfinalist in the 2005 U.S. Amateur.
Emerald Valley Golf Club, Creswell, Ore.; 50 players for TBD spots
• Hunter Hamrick, of Montgomery, Ala., is attempting to qualify for his second U.S. Open. In 2012, Hamrick advanced to The Olympic Club, in San Francisco, through local and sectional play and tied for 46th. A college All-American at Alabama, Hamrick reached the second round at the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur and currently competes on PGA Tour Canada.
• Jonathan Moore, of Stillwater, Okla., was a member of the 2007 USA Walker Cup Team. He won the 2006 NCAA Division I Championship to earn an exemption into that year's U.S. Open sectional qualifying, after several weeks earlier failing to advance out of local qualifying. He won a playoff for the only spot available at the Creswell, Ore., sectional site.
• Cheng-Tsung Pan, of Chinese Taipei, is an All-America golfer at the University of Washington who has played in two U.S. Opens. He tied for 45th last year at Merion Golf Club. In 2007, he became the youngest U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist (age 15) since Bob Jones. Pan has played in six of the past seven U.S. Amateurs.
• Easton Paxton, 15, of Riverton, Wyo., is a freshman at Riverton High School and the state's Class 4A champion. He shot a 66 in U.S. Open local qualifying and won medalist honors by five strokes. Paxton lost his mother, Kara, to brain cancer last July following a four-year battle and he honors her by continuing to play golf. He is entered in qualifiers for this year's U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Junior Amateur.
• Corey Prugh, of Spokane, Wash., comes from a family of golfers. He and his brother, Alex, played at the University of Washington. Alex, a PGA Tour player who qualified for the 2007 U.S. Open, is entered in this year's Memphis, Tenn., sectional. Their father, Steve, is the head professional at Manito Golf & Country Club who played in the 2006 U.S. Senior Open. Their sister, Hillary, played collegiately at Montana State.
• Nick Taylor, of Canada, was the low amateur at the 2009 U.S. Open and shot a second-round 65 at Bethpage State Park's Black Course. He finished as the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links runner-up and was awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal. Taylor played in collegiate at Washington and was the 2008 NCAA runner-up.
Colonial Country Club (North & South Courses), Memphis, Tenn.; 145 golfers for TBD spots
• Jason Allred, of Scottsdale, Ariz., won the 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur, defeating Trevor Immelman. Allred is attempting to qualify for his third U.S. Open, having competed in 2006 and 2010.
• John Augenstein, 16, of Owensboro, Ky., is a junior on the Owensboro Catholic High School team. He advanced to the semifinals of last year's U.S. Junior Amateur and defeated medalist Jim Liu in match play. Augenstein was competing in his first USGA championship.
• Eric Axley, of Knoxville, Tenn., has played in six U.S. Opens. The 40-year-old tied for ninth, his best finish, in 2008.
• Charlie Beljan, of Mesa, Ariz., won the 2002 U.S. Junior Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club, the site of this year's U.S. Amateur. He has competed in two U.S. Opens. Beljan has won once on the PGA Tour and seven times on the Gateway Tour.
• Richard "Skip" Berkmeyer, of Wildwood, Mo., is making his 20th attempt at qualifying for the U.S. Open. He shot a 69 in local qualifying at Missouri Bluffs Golf Club. Berkmeyer has twice been a stroke-play medalist at the U.S. Mid-Amateur and has won three Missouri State Amateur championships.
• Chad Campbell has played in 11 U.S. Opens and tied for 18th in 2008. Campbell was in a three-way playoff at the 2009 Masters Tournament, won by Angel Cabrera, and was the runner-up in the 2003 PGA Championship to Shaun Micheel.
• Tim Clark has competed in 10 U.S. Opens and tied for third in 2005 at Pinehurst No. 2. Clark, who owns 12 professional victories on several tours, captured The Players Championship in 2011. He won the 1997 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, defeating Ryuji Imada in the final.
• David Duval, the 2001 British Open champion, tied for second in the 2009 U.S. Open and has four top-10 finishes. Duval also tied for seventh in 1999 at Pinehurst No. 2. He won the 1989 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.
• Kenny Ebalo, of Las Vegas, Nev., manages PGA Tour player Ryan Moore, a three-time USGA champion. Ebalo has caddied for U.S. Open champions Gary Player and Lee Janzen. He qualified for his first U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship last year.
• Bob Estes, 48, has played in 15 U.S. Opens. Estes, who has four PGA Tour victories, has performed well in both U.S. Opens held at Pinehurst No. 2. He tied for 11th in 2005 and tied for 30th in 1999.
• Paul Goydos, 49, has competed in 12 U.S. Opens, with a tie for 12th in the 1999 championship at Pinehurst No. 2 his best finish. Goydos turns 50 on June 20 and is eligible for this year's U.S. Senior Open.
• Kent Jones, 47, of Albuquerque, N.M., has played in six U.S. Opens and last competed in 2010 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. Jones has competed on four professional tours and owns two Nationwide (now Web.com Tour) victories.
• Jerry Kelly, 47, has played in 10 U.S. Opens, including both at Pinehurst No. 2, in 1999 and 2005. Kelly posted his best finish (tie for seventh) in 2007 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
• Scott Langley has played in three of the last four U.S. Opens and was low amateur with Russell Henley in 2010, tying for 16th. Langley, a PGA Tour member, played in three U.S. Amateurs and reached the quarterfinals in 2010.
• Frank Lickliter, 44, has played in eight U.S. Opens. His best finish was a tie for 18th at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, in 1998. He has two PGA Tour victories.
• Jeff Maggert, 50, has competed in 15 U.S. Opens, but has not qualified since 2005. He has finished in the top 10 seven times, including third-place finishes in 2002 and 2004. Maggert won his Champions Tour debut in March and will play in the 2014 U.S. Senior Open.
• Dan Obremski, 27, of Irwin, Pa., is a mini-tour player who played at Coastal Carolina University. His father, Daniel, was inducted into the USA Racquetball Hall of Fame in 2006. Rising to as high as No. 3 in the world, Daniel captured five national open doubles titles.
• Jon Olson, 34, of Ankeny, Iowa, was named the state's Class 4A Coach of the Year in his first season after leading Ankeny Centennial High School to the state championship. Olson won the 2012 Iowa Amateur title.
• Alex Prugh, of Las Vegas, Nev., comes from a family of golfers and is attempting to qualify for his second U.S. Open. He and his brother, Corey, both played at the University of Washington. Corey is entered in this year's Creswell, Ore., sectional qualifier. Their father, Steve, is the head professional at Manito Golf & Country Club and played in the 2006 U.S. Senior Open. Their sister, Hillary, played collegiately at Montana State.
• Davis Riley, 17, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was the runner-up in the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur, losing to Scottie Scheffler, 3 and 2, in the championship match. Riley, a four-time high school state medalist, called a Rules infraction on himself when his ball moved at address on a birdie putt from just off the green on the deciding hole.
• Scottie Scheffler, 17, of Dallas, Texas, won last year's U.S. Junior Amateur and was a quarterfinalist at the U.S. Amateur. In 2014, Scheffler captured his third consecutive Texas 4A state championship. He recently tied for 22nd at the PGA Tour's HP Byron Nelson Championship. Scheffler's sister, Callie, is a member of the Texas A&M University women's golf team.
• Richard "Gator" Todd, of St. Simons Island, Ga., is the son of former NFL quarterback Richard Todd. Gator earned first-team all-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors as a member of the University of Alabama golf team. His father played for Paul "Bear" Bryant at Alabama and was chosen by the New York Jets in the first round of the 1976 NFL Draft.
• David Toms, 47, has competed in 17 U.S. Opens and owns three top-five finishes. He tied for fourth in 2012 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Toms has won on the PGA Tour 13 times, including the 2001 PGA Championship.
• Brian Vranesh, of Phoenix, Ariz., was the medalist at his U.S. Open local qualifier with a 9-under-par 62, which included two eagles, at Encanterra Country Club. He is a self-professed "Joe the Plumber" of golf who has waited tables and delivered pizzas on a journey which led to him joining the PGA Tour in 2009.
• Stephen Wall, 17, of Madisonville, La., is a junior at Northlake Christian High School who advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying with a birdie on the first hole of a six-man playoff. Wall, who also will attempt to qualify for this year's U.S. Junior Amateur, finished fifth at the state Division III tournament.
• Brady Watt, 24, of Australia, advanced to the semifinals of the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship. He shared medalist honors at 6-under 134 in his first USGA championship and caddied for countryman Oliver Goss in the final match against Matthew Fitzpatrick. He won last year's Western Australia Amateur and was runner-up in 2012.
• Casey Wittenberg has played in six U.S. Opens and tied for 10th in 2012 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Wittenberg, the 2003 U.S. Amateur runner-up and a member of that year's USA Walker Cup Team, won twice on the Web.com Tour in 2012.
• Matthew Younts, of Stokesdale, N.C., made a 60-foot birdie chip on the 18th hole in U.S. Open local qualifying to advance to sectionals. Younts played his collegiate golf at UNC-Greensboro and is now a full-time personal trainer.
Lakeside Country Club, Houston, Texas, 56 players for TBD spots
• Jacob Bergeron, 16, of Slidell, La., advanced out of U.S. Open local qualifying by making a par on the second playoff hole. Bergeron, a freshman at Slidell High School, made an eagle and a double eagle in the same round two years ago at Santa Maria Golf Course in Baton Rouge, La. He carded a double-eagle at the 18th hole with a driver and pitching wedge.
• Thomas Birdsey, of Trophy Club, Texas, shared medalist honors with a 66 in U.S. Open local qualifying. He is a senior on the Wake Forest University golf team and won the 2012 Texas state amateur. His father, Don, had a 40.4-yard career average as a punter for Kansas State University from 1977-80.
• Zack Fischer, 24, of Texarkana, Texas, was one of 20 players to advance through both local and sectional qualifying last year and played in his first U.S. Open. He was involved in a 12-hole playoff that stretched over two days at the Dallas sectional. Fischer clinched his spot with an 8-foot birdie putt, outlasting PGA Tour player Ryan Palmer.
• Zach Fullerton, 27, of Gallup, N.M., was an accomplished scholastic player, but dropped out of high school as a senior. He found work as an electrician, and eventually went to junior college and New Mexico State University. Fullerton now plays on the Web.com Tour.
• Todd Hamilton, 48, won the 2004 British Open by defeating Ernie Els in a four-hole aggregate playoff. He has competed in eight U.S. Opens, tying for 36th in 2008 and 2009.
• Kelly Kraft, of Dallas, Texas, is attempting to qualify for his first U.S. Open after shooting a 64 in local qualifying to earn medalist honors. Kraft won the 2011 U.S. Amateur by defeating Patrick Cantlay, 2 up, in the final at Erin Hills (Wis.). He was a member of the 2011 USA Walker Cup Team.
• Will Kropp, of Edmond, Okla., earned honorable mention All-America recognition as a member of the University of Oklahoma golf team and now plays on PGA Tour Latinoamerica. His father, Brad, is a urologist who will attempt to qualify for this year's U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National.
• Brandon Smith, 17, of Frisco, Texas, tied for 11th in the 2014 Class 4A state championship. His father, Bruce, is a teaching professional at Black Belt Golf Academy who has played in two PGA Championships (2004, 2010).
• Scott Verplank, 49, has competed in 18 U.S. Opens, with his best finish a tie for seventh in 2007. The five-time PGA Tour winner is a diabetic who plays with an insulin pump. Verplank will compete in this year's U.S. Senior Open after he turns 50 on July 9, and it will be a return to Oak Tree National in Edmond, Okla., where he won the 1984 U.S. Amateur.
• Duffy Waldorf, 51, has played in 13 U.S. Opens but has not competed since 2006. Waldorf, who owns four PGA Tour wins, tied for ninth in last year's U.S. Senior Open at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club.
• Cory Whitsett, of Houston, Texas, was a member of the winning 2013 USA Walker Cup Team. A senior at the University at Alabama, Whitsett was named first-team All-American and the 2013 Southeastern Conference (SEC) Player of the Year. He won the 2007 U.S. Junior Amateur at age 15.
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