Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch, attempting to earn his first return trip to the U.S. Open 12 years after qualifying as a 16-year-old, took the first step on Wednesday by sharing medalist honors in U.S. Open Local Qualifying at the Broadmoor Golf Club’s West Course in Colorado Springs.
The two-time HealthOne Colorado Open champion shot an even-par 70 and was one of five players at the site to advance to a 36-hole Sectional Qualifier on June 2.
Tolan, a former University of Colorado golfer, tied for the top spot Wednesday with David Schroeder II and Alex Kephart from Colorado Springs and Brandon Bingaman from Montrose. Also earning a Sectional berth was former CU golfer Derek Fribbs, from Castle Rock, who posted a 71.
After withdrawals and no-shows, 61 players competed for five spots into Sectionals at the Broadmoor.
Tolan, who played in the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in New York at age 16, made three birdies and three bogeys on Wednesday. This marks the second consecutive year he’s advanced from a Local Qualifier at the Broadmoor’s West Course. Tolan (pictured above) has conditional status on the Web.com Tour this year.
Schroeder, playing at his home club, recorded five birdies on Wednesday. He was the runner-up in the 2011 CGA Stroke Play Championship. (Schroeder is pictured between Kephart, left, and Bingaman.)
Bingaman, a former Colorado Mesa University golfer, chalked up four birdies — the same as Kephart, who qualified for last year’s U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur, and Fribbs, the 2013 CGA Player of the Year.
Wednesday marked the second of three U.S. Open Local Qualifying tournaments being held in Colorado this week. On Tuesday at Collindale in Fort Collins, amateurs Parker Edens of Greeley and Cameron Brown of Edwards, along with professionals Matt Rutledge of Fort Collins and Miles Philpy of Thornton earned spots in Sectionals.
Five more players will advance from Thursday’s tournament at Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster.
A total of more than 210 players are involved in this week’s 18-hole U.S. Open Local Qualifiers in Colorado. The numbers were even larger, but quite a few players withdrew when two of the qualifying tournaments — at Heritage at Westmoor and the Broadmoor — were rescheduled twice due to the weather early in the week.
The players who advance this week will play in one of a dozen 36-hole Sectional Qualifiers, with the 10 in the U.S. scheduled for June 2. The U.S. Open itself will be held June 12-15 at the Pinehurst Resort’s No. 2 course in North Carolina.
U.S. Open Local Qualifying
At Par-70 West Course at Broadmoor GC in Colo. Springs
ADVANCE TO SECTIONALS
Alex Kephart, Colorado Springs, Colo., 36-34–70
David Schroeder II, Colorado Springs, Colo., 35-35–70
Brandon Bingaman, Montrose, Colo., 35-35–70
Derek Tolan, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 35-35–70
Derek Fribbs, Castle Rock, Colo., 35-36–71
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Devyn Solano, Aurora, Colo., 32-40–72
Steven Irwin, Arvada, Colo., 37-36–73
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Isaac Petersilie, Colorado Springs, Colo., 35-38–73
Barry Milstead, Centennial, Colo., 37-36–73
Wilson Belk, Colorado Springs, Colo., 35-38–73
Jeff Chapman, Englewood, Colo., 34-39–73
Jake Staiano, Englewood, Colo., 37-37–74
Erik Billinger, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 35-40–75
Eric Hallberg, Parker, Colo., 40-36–76
Tommy Carpenter, Centennial, Colo., 38-39–77
Luke Hemelstrand, Tempe, Ariz., 38-39–77
Jeffrey Gravina, Littleton, Colo., 37-40–77
William Beau Schoolcraft, Denver, Colo., 37-40–77
Marshall Clark, Denver, Colo., 34-44–78
David Lysaught, Denver, Colo., 41-37–78
Kaleb Nichols, Peyton, Colo., 37-41–78
Connor Klein, Lone Tree, Colo., 39-40–79
David Jackson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-41–79
Mitchell Smith, Elizabeth, Colo., 41-38–79
Nicholas Vanetten, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-40–79
Matt Hart, Aurora, Colo., 40-40–80
Brett Housman, Pueblo, Colo., 39-41–80
Charles Rider, Centennial, Colo., 39-41–80
Jon Roth, Colorado Springs, Colo., 38-42–80
Austin Burgess, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-42–81
Will Logsdon, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-40–81
Audie Dean, Centennial, Colo., 40-42–82
Neil Tillman, Arvada, Colo., 40-42–82
Timothy Amundson, Littleton, Colo., 40-42–82
Chace Nathe, Timnath, Colo., 41-41–82
Alan Berry, Littleton, Colo., 39-44–83
Corey Stanton, Breckenridge, Colo., 39-44–83
Caleb Blass, Colorado Springs, Colo., 42-41–83
Justin Palermo, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-42–83
Pierce Aichinger, Englewood, Colo., 41-43–84
Daniel Preston, Colorado Springs, Colo., 39-45–84
Jason Kroese, Denver, Colo., 38-46–84
Michael Swan, Crested Butte, Colo., 39-45–84
Grant McLaughlin, Aurora, Colo., 39-46–85
Todd Kenyon, Colorado Springs, Colo., 42-43–85
John Ward, Denver, Colo., 40-45–85
John Fowlds, Lone Tree, Colo., 43-42–85
Gilbert Garcia, Lawton, Okla., 42-44–86
Kyle Nottoli, Colorado Springs, Colo., 41-45–86
Andrew Silverman, Lone Tree, Colo., 42-44–86
Chris Winter, Colorado Springs, Colo., 43-44–87
Sam Marley, Centennial, Colo., 40-47–87
Andrew Cooper, Cherry Hills Village, Colo., 47-42–89
Jay Livsey, Denver, Colo., 40-49–89
Derek Williams, Colorado Springs, Colo., 36-54–90
Jacob Kelley, Littleton, Colo., 49-43–92
Spencer Rogerson, Colorado Springs, Colo., 49-45–94
Jeff Elliott, Moore, Okla., 48-48–96
Jimmy Byars, Denver, Colo., 51-46–97
Brian Whitehouse, Garden City, Kan., 49-49–98
Richard Esper, Parker, Colo., 49-49–98
Gary Driber, Castle Pines, Colo., WD
Troy Berglund, Pittsburgh, Pa., NS
Samuel Toillion, Longmont, Colo., NS
Matt Call, Castle Rock, Colo., WD
Conrad Smith, Golden, Colo., NS
Shane Bertsch, Parker, Colo., NS
Mike Milewski, Parker, Colo., NS
Wes Strang, Bethesda, Md., WD
