Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson may not be vying in their national championship at Erin Hills next week but Tiger’s unofficial putting coach, Steve Stricker, will be representing the old guard at the 117th playing of the U.S. Open.
U.S. Open 2017: Steve Stricker qualifies for Erin Hills
Steve Stricker’s walking tall in Memphis and carrying a big stick into next week’s U.S. Open.
Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Stricker topped the field on Monday in Memphis with a 36-hole total of 10-under 132 (4-under 67 in the morning and 65 in the p.m.) to earn his way into the men’s second major of the year. The 50-year-old native Cheesehead was forced to work for his spot in the 156-player field when the USGA refused to honor his request for a special exemption into the event being staged in his native Wisconsin.
No matter. Stricker, with five birdies in his opening round to go with one bogey, and five more birdies in the first eight holes in the afternoon, finished with a tap-in birdie to guarantee himself a tee time come June 15.
“It means a lot,” Stricker told the Wisconsin State Journal after edging five other players, including Andres Romero, Troy Merritt, and Harris English, by one stroke for low score at Memphis’ Germantown and Ridgeway CCs. “Not getting an exemption was a motivational factor. Not that I deserved one, but it’s been driving me to achieve this goal. And, I’m just happy that I’m going to get to play. It’s a relief to get to play in the first one in my home state.”
Stricker was certainly the biggest name in Monday’s 10 sectional qualifiers throughout the U.S., but a slew of other well-known golfers attempted to get into the game. He and eight others out of 108 entrants made it to Erin Hills out of Memphis, while Retief Goosen (-5) and Stuart Appleby (-4) did not.
As always, the largest and strongest contingent of contestants (122) teed up for 14 slots in Columbus, Ohio, at Brookside and The Lakes CCs. Stewart Cink, Keegan Bradley (10-under), Bryson DeChambeau, David Lingmerth (9-under), and Peter Uihlein (8-under) were among those punching their tickets to Erin, Wisc. Vijay Singh (-6), Luke Donald (-5), and Davis Love III (E) will miss the action.
Check out the USGA qualifying site for complete sectional results.
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