The sectional qualifiers for the 2013 U.S. Open ended on Tuesday morning when John Nieporte and Zack Fischer won playoffs to earn their spots in the tournament, which is set to begin on June 13 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
U.S. Open qualifying results 2013: John Nieporte, Zack Fischer wrap up remaining 2 sectional spots
Zack Fischer defeated PGA Tour-regular Ryan Palmer in a playoff that required 12 holes.
With his victory, Nieporte was able to eliminate 15-year-old David Synder following a lengthy playoff that was postponed due to darkness. On Monday night, the pair tied on back-to-back holes before it became too late to continue, but Nieporte was able to seal the deal with a birdie on the first playoff hole on Tuesday morning.
Fischer eliminated Ryan Palmer, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, who finished in a tie for 21st in the 2011 U.S. Open. On Monday night, Fischer and Palmer halved eight consecutive holes before darkness set in. They continued the duel on Tuesday morning with three more tied holes. On the 12th hole of the playoff, Fischer managed to sink a birdie putt and clinch his spot in the U.S. Open.
Following the lengthy playoff, wrapping up 48 holes in two days for Fischer and Palmer, Golf Channel’s George Savaricas spoke with Palmer who was classy in defeat:
A lot of class by @ryanpalmerpga in defeat, told me he's "happy for @zackfisch3, he's a great kid"
— George Savaricas (@GeorgeSavaricas) June 4, 2013
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