Josh Teater has never competed in a major, and now, after qualifying for the British and U.S. Opens in a two-week span, the 34-year-old from Kentucky will contest for both national titles -- and the PGA Championship as well.
2013 U.S. Open sectional qualifying: Josh Teater earns spots in 2 majors in 2 weeks
Josh Teater will play in his first two major championships after qualifying for both the British and U.S. Opens within a two-week span.
Teater, grinding it out against one of Monday’s strongest sectional qualifying fields, at Brookside Golf & Country Club and The Lakes Golf & CC, was at 10-under -- good enough to snag one of the 15 slots available at the Columbus, Ohio, site.
With players still on the courses -- including 2003 Masters winner Mike Weir -- Charley Hoffman had the clubhouse edge at 11-under. Teater shared runner-up honors, at 10-under, with fellow PGA Tour players Nicholas Thompson, David Hearn, and Robert Karlsson.
It’s been an eventful couple of weeks for Teater, who bears an uncanny facial resemblance to Sergio Garcia. Already qualified for the PGA Championship later this year, he was medalist at May 20‘s 36-hole qualifier for the British Open after firing rounds of 64 and 69 at Gleneagles CC in Plano, Texas.
Monday, he punched his ticket to Merion with rounds of 63 and 71.
“I’ve done this qualifier six or seven times and never had any luck,” Teater told Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis after his successful day. “I was already qualified for the PGA ... and then I qualified for the British, and here I qualified for this one, so it looks like I’m going to get three this year.”
Teater set high expectations for his first major tilt. He anticipated having a go at Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and the other big names.
“My goal wasn’t just to make it there,” he said. “Just do what I can to try to be there when it comes down to the end on Sunday.”
Speaking of Weir, the 963rd-ranked player in the world -- who has battled back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2011 -- was on the projected cut line at 8-under through 15 holes of his second round.
As for Kyle Stanley, who played himself inside the all-important top 60 in the world with a third-place finish at last week’s Memorial Tournament, he’ll have to hope the rankings remain the same when they come out on Monday. With the top 60 exempt into the Open, Stanley shot a 6-under, which was not low enough to qualify for the June tourney in Ardmore, Pa.
Click here for a rundown of scores at Columbus.
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