by Gary Baines – May 10, 2010
The years 2002 and 2003 were heady times for Colorado golfers barely old enough to get their driver licenses.
Derek Tolan and Tom Glissmeyer won state high school championships as 16-year-olds those two years (Tolan in Class 5A in ’02 and Glissmeyer in 4A in ’03, the first of his two titles). But those victories in the fall were almost an afterthought considering what the two Colorado phenoms had accomplished in the summer.
In successive years, Tolan and Glissmeyer qualified for the U.S. Open at the tender age of 16. In addition, Tolan earned spots in the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Amateur Public Links and the U.S. Junior Amateur, reportedly becoming the first player in history to compete in all of those four USGA championships in the same year. And he made it to match play in the Publinks and the Junior Amateur.
The next year, in 2003, it was Glissmeyer’s turn. Besides advancing to the U.S. Open and the U.S. Junior Amateur at 16, he not only qualified for the U.S. Amateur, but he went to the second round of match play.
Now 23, Glissmeyer would like to recreate a little of that same magic by earning a return trip to the U.S. Open as a professional. The Cheyenne Mountain High School graduate took the first step in making that a reality by sharing medalist honors in Monday’s U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.
A Colorado Springs product who’s now living in Las Vegas, Glissmeyer shot an even-par 71 in very windy conditions to claim one of the five available U.S. Open Sectional berths. Fifteen Sectional Qualifying tournaments will be held worldwide within the next month, setting the field for the 2010 U.S. Open, which will be played June 17-20 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Joining Glissmeyer in advancing at Walking Stick were co-medalist David Jackson, a pro from Scottsdale, Ariz. (71), 2006 HealthOne Colorado Open champion Dustin White of Pueblo West (73), amateur Charles Rider of Centennial (74) and amateur Pete Severson of Pueblo (75). Severson, playing his home course, won a four-man playoff for the final Sectional spot with a birdie on the first extra hole.
Glissmeyer, who finished third in the 2009 NCAA Championships as a senior at the University of Southern California, made four birdies during his Monday round, one more than Jackson.
White, who played the Nationwide Tour full-time in 2009, likewise has previously qualified for the U.S. Open, with his trip coming in 2006.
Among those who failed to advance out of Monday’s field of 74 was Mark Wiebe of Aurora. A two-time winner on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour, Wiebe shot an 80 at Walking Stick. Also falling short was Jason Allen of Pueblo, a two-time U.S. Open qualifier who shot 79 Monday in his hometown.
Walking Stick was the first of three U.S. Open Local Qualifying tournaments in Colorado. Both the other two will take place on May 17 — at The Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster and Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins. Those sites likewise will send five qualifiers each to Sectionals. One of the Sectional Qualifying tournaments will be held June 7 at Columbine Country Club in Littleton.
U.S. OPEN LOCAL QUALIFYING RESULTS (click to view scorecards)
At Par-71 Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo
Advance to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying
Tom Glissmeyer, Colorado Springs, Colo., 34-37–71
David Jackson, Scottsdale, Ariz, 37-34–71
Dustin White, Pueblo West, Colo., 36-37–73
Charles Rider, Centennial, Colo., 35-39–74
Pete Severson, Pueblo, Colo., 39-36–75
Alternates (In Order)
Dave Arbuckle, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-37–75
Kyle Burns, Denver, Colo., 38-37–75
Failed to Qualify
Chad Novak, Pueblo, Colo., 39-36–75
Brandon McCoy, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-38–76
Riley Andrews, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 40-36–76
Micah Rudosky, Cortez, Colo., 36-40–76
Matt Hart, Aurora, Colo., 39-37–76
Tyson Shinaut, Parker, Colo., 39-38–77
Ray Makloski, Pueblo, Colo., 41-36–77
Brad Besler, Blessing, Texas, 35-42–77
Jeremy Lederer, Ridgway, Colo., 39-38–77
Landon Willett, Columbia, Mo., 43-34–77
Chance Robison, Colorado City, Colo., 38-40–78
Zach Sommers, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-39–78
George Andrews III, Pueblo, Colo., 42-36–78
Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village, Colo., 41-37–78
Scott Petersen, Parker, Colo., 38-40–78
C J Ebel, Niwot, Colo., 40-39–79
Josh Koschke, Pueblo West, Colo., 44-35–79
Jason Allen, Pueblo, Colo., 38-41–79
Michael Harrington, Colorado Springs, Colo., 40-39–79
Tommy Carpenter, Centennial, Colo., 39-40–79
Jeffrey Becker, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-42–79
David Duarte, Fountain, Colo., 39-41–80
Cody Kent, Castle Rock, Colo., 40-40–80
Ryan Boshoven, Castle Rock, Colo., 38-42–80
Darrin Hall, Evergreen, Colo., 42-38–80
Tyler Symons, Aurora, Colo., 43-37–80
Shawn Strohman, Littleton, Colo., 39-41–80
John Ogden, Castle Pines North, Colo., 40-40–80
Mark Wiebe, Aurora, Colo., 40-40–80
David Delich, Colorado Springs, Colo., 40-40–80
Chris Gallegos, Denver, Colo., 46-35–81
Christopher Williamson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 43-38–81
Keenan Holt, Durango, Colo., 40-41–81
Graham McCoy, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-40–81
James Doidge, Pueblo, Colo., 41-40–81
Travis Wolf, Denver, Colo., 40-41–81
Chris Winter, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-40–81
John Buffalo, Pueblo, Colo., 40-41–81
Tom Whitney, Usafa, Colo., 37-45–82
Justin Snyder, Pueblo, Colo., 42-40–82
Garrett Froggatte, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-45–83
Travis Williams, Erie, Colo., 41-42–83
Jason Schmidt, Aurora, Colo., 43-40–83
Val Heim III, Westminster, Colo., 40-43–83
Patrick Mullin, Colorado Springs, Colo., 37-47–84
Shaun Fischer, Elizabeth, Colo., 45-39–84
Kevin Eli, Littleton, Colo., 41-43–84
Tom Morris, Lakewood, Colo., 40-44–84
Grant Javernick, Aurora, Colo., 46-39–85
Jeff Johnson, Pueblo, Colo., 42-43–85
River Winquist, Crested Butte, Colo., 43-42–85
Chris Fiorenzi, Pueblo West, Colo., 40-45–85
Sean Thomas, Arvada, Colo., 41-44–85
Gilbert Garcia, Lawton, Okla., 44-41–85
Jonathan Park, Denver, Colo., 45-42–87
Thomas B Noonan Jr, Boulder, Colo., 41-46–87
Jesse Wright, Littleton, Colo., 43-45–88
David Hart, Denver, Colo., 43-45–88
Bob Utberg, Parker, Colo., 42-46–88
Zachary Luchs, Castle Rock, Colo., 45-43–88
Chris Keirns, Thornton, Colo., 47-45–92
Eero Visser, Castle Rock, Colo., 43-50–93
Matt Julander, Highlands Ranch, Colo., WD
Kevin Burke, Aurora, Colo., WD
Daniel Jarvie, Pagosa Springs, Colo., NS
Aaron Irving, Denver, Colo., NC
Justin Borzych, Littleton, Colo., NC
