Locals Advance to Shinnecock for 118th U.S. Open
SUMMIT, N.J. (June 4, 2018) – If having the U.S. Open return to the Met Area wasn’t enough, the region will now be well represented in the championship’s 118th playing at Shinnecock Hills as four of the five qualifiers from Monday’s sectional qualifying round at Canoe Brook Country Club have called the region home.
Former MGA Player of the Year winners Stewart Hagestad (2016) of Newport Beach, Calif., Mike Miller (2011, 2012) of Brewster, N.Y., and Cameron Wilson (2009) of Rowayton, Conn., all punched their tickets to Shinnecock, while 2011 MGA/MetLife Boys champion Theo Humphrey of Greenwich, Conn., rounded out the quartet by securing the final qualifying position in a playoff. Scotland native Calum Hill, now of Silver City, N.M., shared co-medalist honors with Wilson at 7-under 135 and filled out the five qualifiers from the 81-player starting field.
“I always enjoy playing in this area,” said Wilson, who reported consistent driving of the golf ball as a strength on the day. “I haven’t played that much golf around New York since I’ve been pro, so it’s a real thrill to be able to play on courses I’m familiar with in this kind of setting.”
Wilson played a near flawless 36 holes upon Canoe Brook’s two courses, carding a 3-under 69 on the North Course in the morning and a bogey-free 66 on the South Course in the afternoon. Wilson will be making his second appearance in the U.S. Open, having qualified as an amateur from Canoe Brook in 2012.
Meanwhile, Miller entered the day with confidence, having advanced from the site in 2016 and building off more and more professional rounds.
“I feel like I’m a much more mature person on the golf course,” said Miller, who has added a couple Web.com Tour events to his resume following a fruitful winter in Minor League Golf Tour events. “Everything about it—kind of expect the unexpected, you never know what’s going to happen. But to know that you’ve had the success it just makes everything better.”
Related: [Video] Road to the Majors Presented by Rolex, featuring the 118th U.S. Open
Miller felt good from the start, carding a bogey-free 66 on the South Course to start the day. He built momentum quickly in the afternoon, adding birdies on two of his first three holes, starting on the 10th hole of the North Course. He played even the rest of the way in, posting 6-under 136.
Also owning U.S. Open experience from Oakmont in 2016, Miller has a couple of thoughts in mind heading into next week: “You need to find fairways, and you need to leave the course when you’re tired,” he says. “I stayed there [at Oakmont] all day and I practiced. I loved every minute of it and I was a fan, and you can’t do that. You need to realize that you’re playing in the event and leave when it’s time.”
Of course, the treat of having the championship in his own state provides extra meaning as well. “I hope to play well, but to know that it’s in my home state of New York, in the MGA area, it couldn’t be any better.”
Hagestad’s qualifying for the U.S. Open continues an incredible two year stretch for the amateur, having won the Met Amateur and U.S. Mid-Am in 2016, and in 2017 won low amateur honors at the Masters, competed in the U.S. Open and been part of the victorious Walker Cup team at Los Angeles Country Club.
“Whether it’s at the amateur or pro level, I just like competing—that’s what excites me,” says Hagestad, who played his first 11 holes in 2-over par. Hagestad closed out his morning round on the North Course strong, though, registering five birdies over his final seven holes to tally a 2-under 70.
Hagestad tallied 10 consecutive pars to open his afternoon round on the South Course, all the while having a target in mind. “I hit it much better this afternoon—I had a number in my head that seven was probably going to be in pretty good shape,” he said.
Hagestad once again closed in a flurry, scoring four birdies over his last eight holes, including one on the par-four 9th that kept him safe from a playoff. “I’m just excited to test my game against the world’s best and prepare the best way I know how and I’ll go out and try to keep my standards high and if nothing else, enjoy every minute of it.”
Humphrey set the pace in the morning, leading the field behind a 5-under 65 on the South Course. “I got off to a hot start,” said Humphrey, who began his first round with three consecutive birdies with a 10th-tee start. “That kind of makes everything a little easier after that.”
Humphrey, who was recently named an All-American and earned SEC Player of the Year honors during his senior campaign at Vanderbilt, made the turn in 4-under 30 and added three more birdies to a pair of bogeys over his final nine in the morning. “I was just hitting fairways, giving myself good looks and was able to make a few so it was a pretty stress-free round.”
In the afternoon, Humphrey had a pair of early bogeys, but bounced back with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 6-8 as he took on the lengthier North Course. A pair of bogeys placed him on the edge of the qualifying positions, but a final birdie on the par-four 16th followed by a pair of pars led him to the 5-under finish and eventually into a playoff with Canadian Mark Hoffman, who played alongside Hagestad and registered a 5-under 65 in the afternoon.
Humphrey’s first-ever ticket to the U.S. Open was punched with his par-four on the first playoff hole—No. 1 on the North.
Hill, a 2016 graduate of Western New Mexico University where he's currently the assistant golf coach, played his first 11 holes on the South Course in 1-over, but found a spark with a birdie on the par-four 2nd. He added three more birdies on the way in for 3-under 67. His momentum carried over to the afternoon, as he posted nines of 33-36 on the North Course to climb up the leaderboard and post 7-under, matching Wilson.
Hoffman finished first alternate, while Berkeley Heights, N.J., native Ryan Davis took second alternate.
Canoe Brook’s North Course played as a par 72 from 7,136 yards while the South Course played as a par 70 from 6,673 yards. The day's starting times were delayed 30 minutes to provide extra time for maintenance after overnight rains.