Chris Crisologo Medals in U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Gamble Sands

Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C. shot 5-under 65 to earn medalist honors in leading the field of 80 players who competed today in U.S. Open Local qualifying at the par-70 Gamble Sands in Brewster, Wash.

Along with Crisologo, four other players will also advance from this Local qualifier to the Sectional qualifier. Those four include Craig Crawford of Stanwood, Wash.; Jose Rolz of Guatemala; Tyler Falk of Springfield, Ore.; and Dan Whitaker of Ellensburg, Wash.

Players warm up on the putting green at Gamble Sands prior to the start of the qualifier.

Crisologo had his round at 7-under par, but double-bogeyed the 536-yard par-4 18th hole to finish at 5-under. Crisologo is a member of the Canadian National Amateur Team. He graduated last spring from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., where he won the 2017 GNAC individual collegiate conference title. In 2017, he was medalist at a Sectional qualifier for the U.S. Amateur. In 2018, he won the BC Amateur and South American Amateur, finished tied for 45th (and was low amateur) in the RBC Canadian Open, and was named the 2018 PNGA Men’s Player of the Year. Crisologo repeated as champion of the South American Amateur in 2019.

Crawford was 5-under par after 13 holes, but bogeyed three of the last five holes to finish with a 2-under 68. He graduated from Western Washington University in 2014, where he played all four years on the men’s golf team. Although Crawford works in the golf shop at Skagit Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Wash., he has maintained his amateur status.

Rolz bogeyed the 18th hole to finish at 1-under 69. He is a professional who has played several seasons on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He graduated in 2015 from Texas Wesleyan University, where he played four years on the men’s golf team.

Falk and Whitaker claimed the final two available spots by surviving a playoff between six players who had finished the round tied at even-par 70.

Falk graduated from Northwest Christian University, where he set the school’s scoring record while playing for the men’s golf team, and being the school’s first player to qualify for the NAIA National Championship. He has played professionally since graduating in 2014. In 2016 he was named the school’s head coach of both the men’s and women’s golf teams.

Whitaker, 38, is a former 1A Washington State High School champion. He was runner-up in the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur, and has remained an amateur. He made it into U.S. Open Sectional qualifying in 2017.

The 2019 U.S. Open Championship will be held June 13-16 at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links.

The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducted this Local qualifier for the U.S. Open Championship.

To be eligible, golfers must either be a professional, or be an amateur with a Handicap Index of 1.4 or less.

Local qualifying, which is played over 18 holes, is taking place between April 29-May 13. Sectional qualifying will be contested over 36 holes and held in Texas on May 20, Japan on May 27, and in England and Canada and at eight sites throughout the U.S. on Monday, June 3.

Founded in 1922, the WSGA is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers. Serving nearly 70,000 individual members at more than 550 member golf clubs and 270 golf courses throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, the WSGA works to continually expand the game of golf to people of all backgrounds.

The WSGA also serves as a statewide representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.