Lee Janzen falls just short at U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Purchase, N.Y.

Two-time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen failed on Monday to punch his ticket to Pinehurst for next week’s tournament, finishing T7 in sectional qualifying in Purchase, N.Y. But it was long-time journeyman Geoffrey Sisk’s against-all-odds attempt to make it to his eighth national championship that caught the attention of many golf watchers in New England and beyond.

Two Massachusetts players, 49-year-old Fran Quinn and 34-year-old Rob Oppenheim, tied for medalist honors in the 36-hole qualifying tourney at Old Oaks Country Club and Century Country Club, each finishing at 3-under 138. Another Bay State golfer, James Renner, finished one shot back, and New Yorker Matthew Dobyns’ even-par score was good enough to round out the fourth spot available at the locale.

As for Sisk, who grew up not far from the stomping grounds of Quinn and Oppenheim and who David Shefter described as the poster boy for the “meritocracy” of the tournament, a 12-over effort was not enough to get him into the Open. Six of his seven career Open berths have come via local and sectional qualifiers. Sisk had his moment in the spotlight last year at Merion when world No. 1-to-be Adam Scott and four-time major champion Ernie Els sandwiched him in the interview room.

“When they asked me to come into the media center, I thought they were kidding,” Sisk told Jim McCabe at the time.

Sisk was a long-shot last year, after he lost his Web.com Tour status in 2011 and entered qualifying late. His inaugural U.S. Open tourney was in 1995 and he made one of his two cuts at Pinehurst in 1999. The six-time winner of the Massachusetts Open did not make it to the weekend of last year’s U.S. Open and was even less likely this time around to get to the first tee in 2014.

Sisk’s homeboys, Quinn and Oppenheim, have had stellar careers in New England. Quinn won the Massachusetts Amateur crown in 1986 and added the Open titles from his native state and neighboring New Hampshire in 1990 and 1997, respectively.

Oppenheim owns similar achievements, winning the Massachusetts Amateur in 2002, the Mass Open in 2009, and the New Hampshire Open twice (2005, 2009).

As for the most notable name in the 80-player Purchase field, Janzen, who has played in 19 U.S. Opens and is one year away from Champions Tour eligibility, finished at 2-over.

Others from Purchase who won’t be making tee times at Pinehurst included Web.com winners Kevin Foley and Bradley’s good pals Jon Curran and Jamie Lovemark. Bob Ford, at 60 the oldest sectional-qualifying contestant, and club pro Steve Scott, whose claim to fame is his runner-up finish to Tiger Woods in the 1996 U.S. Amateur, also gave it a go but came up short on Monday.

Here are the full results from the New York MGA sectional: