The field of 55 players has been announced for the WA Golf-hosted U.S. Open Final Qualifier on Monday, June 5th at Tacoma Country & Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash.
Click here to view starting times and pairings.
Final qualifying, conducted over 36 holes, will be held at 10 sites across the U.S. and Canada. Players who advance from each location will secure a spot in the 2023 U.S. Open Championship, held June 15-18 at The Los Angeles (Calif.) Country Club’s North Course.
Inside the field at Tacoma:
Daniel Campbell, 31, of Bellingham, Wash., was one of five players to advance from the Blaine, Wash., local qualifier on April 25 at Loomis Trail Golf Course. Campbell, who is the assistant professional at Bellingham Golf & Country Club, also competed in U.S. Open final qualifying in 2019. He recently won the Northwest Open by four strokes at The Home Course with a 54-hole score of 8-under 208. Campbell played at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia.
Max Ennis, 17, of Eagle, Idaho, fired a 4-under 67 in the Kuna, Idaho, local qualifier on May 15 at Falcon Crest Golf Club. In 2022, he made three eagles en route to winning his second consecutive Idaho Junior Amateur (age 15-18 division). He won his first AJGA event, the Ping Heather Farr Classic, on April 9 with a 54-hole score of 11-under 202. Ennis captured the Class 5A state high school championship as a freshman in 2021 and was the runner-up the following year.
Brandon Eyre, 20, of Salem, Ore., was one of four players to advance in the Kuna, Idaho, local qualifier on May 15 at Falcon Crest Golf Club. Eyre is a sophomore on the Oregon State University team. He reached the Oregon Amateur’s semifinals and quarterfinals in 2021 and 2022, respectively. His father, James, is a oral surgeon and his mother, Holly, is a dental hygienist.
Max Herendeen, 18, of Bellevue, Wash., is a senior at Bishop Blanchet High School and was one of five players to advance from the Walla Walla, Wash., local qualifier. Herendeen, who will attend the University of Illinois this fall, won last year’s WIAA state championship and was chosen 2022 Washington Golf Junior Player of the Year. A four-time Metro Conference player of the year, he was the runner-up in last year’s Washington State Amateur.
Taehoon Song, 22, of the Republic of Korea, was the medalist with a 70 in local qualifying at Loomis Trail Golf Course on April 25. He tied for 20th in the Pac-12 Conference Championship as a junior on the University of Washington team in 2022-23. Song was chosen the top senior high school golfer by the Orange County Register while playing at Anaheim (Calif.) Discovery Christian.
Spencer Tibbits, 24, of Vancouver, Wash., shot a 68 in local qualifying at Falcon Crest Golf Club, in Kuna, Idaho, on May 15. He advanced through local and final qualifying to his lone U.S. Open in 2019 at Pebble Beach. Tibbits, who also reached match play in two U.S. Amateurs, was an All-West Region and All-Pac 12 Conference selection at Oregon State University. He ranks second in career top-10 finishes (14) at OSU and is a three-time state high school champion.
Joe Highsmith, 23, of Lakewood, Wash., is competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, with his best finish a tie for fourth in The Panama Championship this season. He advanced to his first U.S. Open in 2021 after earning medalist honors in the Richland, Wash., final qualifier. Highsmith played at Pepperdine University, where he was a two-time All-America and three-time All-West Coast Conference selection. In 2017, Highsmith was the youngest player to win the Washington State Amateur.
Ben Warian, 21, of Stillwater, Minn., was medalist in U.S. Open local qualifying for the second consecutive year. He recovered from a double bogey on the first hole to card a 67 at Somerby Golf Club, in Byron, Minn., on May 8. Warian tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference Championship and earned all-conference honors as a junior at the University of Minnesota in 2022-23. He tied for 11th in the NCAA Bath Regional, the best finish by a Gopher in 12 years.
Noah Woolsey, 24, of Pleasanton, Calif., carded a 68 in local qualifying at The Club at Ruby Hill in his hometown on May 16. Woolsey, who has competed on Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada, won the Pac-12 Conference Championship as a senior at the University of Washington in 2021-22. Woolsey, who has played in three U.S. Amateurs, was chosen first team All-Pac-12 that same season when he posted five top-10 finishes.
Final field size and the number of qualifying spots available at each location will be announced on Monday, June 5th. Scoring and information from all 10 qualifiers can be found at: usopen.com
