Matt Marshall of Oro Valley, Ariz. shot a 4-under par 67 and took medalist honors in leading the field of 103 players who competed today in local qualifying at Tumble Creek Club in Cle Elum, Wash.
Along with Marshall, five other players advanced from this local qualifier to the sectional qualifier, which will be held on June 2. The 2014 U.S. Open Championship is being held June 12-15 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club's No. 2 course in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
The Washington State Golf Association (WSGA) is the local representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and conducted this qualifier for the U.S. Open Championship.
Marshall birdied the par-4 first hole and never looked back, getting to 6-under par after 15 holes before back-to-back bogeys on holes 16 and 17.
The other players to qualify are Corey Prugh of Spokane, Wash., a former Northwest Open and Oregon Open champion, and three-time Rosauers Open champion; Dan Whitaker of Ellensburg, Wash., who was runner-up in the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur; David Phay of Oak Harbor, Wash.; Brian Thornton of Sumner, Wash., the 2010 Northwest Open champion; and Cory Mehl of Seattle.
Phay, Thornton and Mehl outlasted Dylan Bell of Victoria, B.C. and Tim Feenstra of Issaquah, Wash. in a 5-for-3 playoff for the final spots. Bell earned the first alternate spot, while Feenstra, a PGA club pro from Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle and two-time Washington Open champion, settled for second alternate for the second year in a row.
The USGA accepted a record number of entries for the 2014 U.S. Open Championship. The total of 10,127 entrants eclipses the 9,860 for last year's championship at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. The USGA accepted entries for the 114th U.S. Open from golfers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 75 foreign countries. This year marks the sixth time that the USGA accepted more than 9,000 entries for the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Open will be held for the third time at Pinehurst No. 2. To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional. Local qualifying, which will be played over 18 holes at 111 sites in the United States, will take place between May 2-19. Successful qualifiers will advance to sectional qualifying, which is the final stage before the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
