Local qualifying for the 2017 U.S. Open has concluded, with approximately two dozen golfers with Georgia ties advancing to sectional qualifying.
Sectional qualifying is scheduled for June 5 at 10 sites throughout the U.S., including one at Hawk’s Ridge in Ball Ground.
Two of the local qualifiers were held in the Atlanta area, with Summer Grove in Newnan and Stone Mountain GC serving as hosts.
Mini-tour pro Deven Broadaway of Adairsville was the medalist at Summer Grove with a 66 followed by UGA golfer David Mackey of Watkinsville at 67. Amateur Thomas Whitley of Hoschton tied for third at 68, with Georgia Tech golfer James Clark advancing from a 5 players for 4 spots playoff at 69.
Tour player Wade Binfield of Fayetteville also shot 69, but lost the playoff and is first alternate. UGA golfer Spencer Ralston of Gainesville shot 70 and won a playoff to earn second alternate status.
Former Berry College golfer Jason Dejiacomo of Jasper was medalist at Stone Mountain’s Stonemont course with a 66, one ahead of mini-tour pro Blake Palmer of Dawsonville and Georgia Tech golfer Micheal Pisciotta of Alpharetta.
Tying for fourth at 68 were Georgia College golfer Harrison Stewart of Roswell, former Mercer golfer Trey Rule of Eatonton and former UGA golfer Nicholas Reach. Mini-tour pros Jaylon Ellison of Roswell and Ted Moon of Lilburn got the final two berths with scores of 69, as Georgians swept all eight qualifying spots.
A number of Georgians also qualified out of state.
Former UGA golfer Joey Garber shot 68 to place third in a qualifier in Jupiter, Fla., with fellow ex-Bulldog Bryden Macpherson first alternate after losing a playoff at 69.
Amateur Dru Love of St. Simons Island tied for second at 69 at Sawgrass CC in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., to qualify, with former UGA golfer T.J. Mitchell of Albany second alternate at 71 after losing a 3-for-1 playoff.
Pros Tim O’Neal and Kyle Peterman, both of Savannah, shared medalist honors in Okatie, S.C., with scores of 67. Fellow Savannah pro Mark Silvers shot 70 and is second alternate.
Former UGA golfer Michael Cromie qualified in Georgetown, S.C., tying for second at 67.
Benjamin Shipp of Duluth, a member of the North Carolina State golf team, qualified in Wallace, N.C., with a 65 to get the fourth of five spots. Ex-Georgia Tech golfer J.T. Griffin was second in Raleigh, N.C., at 69, with former Tech golfer Bo Andrews first alternate at 71 after losing a playoff.
Qualifying at the Robert Trent Jones Trail course in Glencoe, Al., was recent UGA golfer Lee McCoy and Web.com Tour player David Skinns of Suwanee. McCoy was second with a 70 and Skinns won a 4-for-1 playoff to get the final spot at 72.
Emerson Newsome of Dacula, who has completed his college career at Cincinnati, qualified in Cincinnati. Atlanta native David Engram, a former club professional at Atlanta CC, won a playoff to advance in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he is a club pro at Mirabel GC. Also advancing was former Mercer golfer Hans Reimers in Dallas.
Those who advanced from local qualifiers will join tour players and top amateurs in sectional qualifiers, with nine players with Georgia ties among the approximately 75 players who are exempt from qualifying.
That group includes Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed, Matt Kuchar, Kevin Kisner, Roberto Castro and 2016 U.S. Senior Open champion Gene Sauers. Russell Henley and Brian Harman moved into the top 60 of the World Golf Rankings after recent wins on the PGA Tour to also earn exemptions into the U.S. Open, which will be played for the first time at Erin Hills in Wisconsin on June 15-18.