Twenty years ago, former Yuma High School and University of Colorado golfer Steve Jones earned the distinction of winning the U.S. Open after going through Sectional Qualifying.
In 2016, no players with significant Colorado ties will have the same opportunity.
Ten 36-hole Sectional Qualifying tournaments were held on Monday in the U.S., and though there were a several close calls, none of the 20 players with significant local connections earned a spot in the U.S. Open, which will be contested June 16-19 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.
Coming the closest to advancing Monday were 2015 CGA Player of the Year David Oraee of Greeley, two-time CGA Match Play runner-up Parker Edens of Greeley and Josh Creel of Cheyenne, Wyo., who played briefly for the University of Colorado before winning the 2012 NCAA Division II individual title at Central Oklahoma.
Oraee, who survived a seven-man playoff at Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins to make it to Sectionals, was within striking distance of a U.S. Open spot at the Daly City, Calif., Sectional. But after going birdie, par, par, birdie, eagle on his 29th-33rd holes, a bogey on hole 35 cost him a chance to earn a national berth. With a closing birdie, he ended up shooting 69-70 for a 4-under-par 139 total, which left him in 13th place and two shots out of a playoff for the final Open berth.
Edens, who was in the same seven-man playoff at Collindale as Oraee, finished a shot behind the fourth and final finisher to earn a U.S. Open berth in Springfield, Ohio. Edens shot back-to-back even-par rounds of 70 to tie for sixth place at a site where the top four advanced. PGA Tour player Tony Finau and amateur Charles Danielson of Osceola, Wis., shared fourth place at 139, then Danielson landed the U.S. Open spot via a playoff.
And Creel was in good position to advance until a double bogey on his 32nd hole of the day in Houston. At a site where the top three earned Open spots, Creel tied for fifth and was three out of third place. He carded rounds of 69-71 for a 4-under-par 140 total.
Here are the scores for all the players with major Colorado ties who were entered in one of the Sectional Qualifiers on Monday:
Daly City, Calif. (100 players for 6 spots)
13. David Oraee of Greeley 69-70–139
40. Former Durango resident Bob Kalinowski 77-67–144
57. Behrod Keshtavar of Erie 76-71–147
79. Scott Petersen of Parker 76-74–150
86. Brandon Barron of Centennial 73-79–152
92. Andrew Romano of Lone Tree 72-83–155
Rockville, Md. (55 players for 3 spots)
13. Derek Tolan of Denver 72-72–144
44. Chris Thayer of Denver 81-75–156
Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo NS
Summit, N.J. (98 players for 6 spots)
17. Former Golden resident Andrew Svoboda 73-69–142
25. Former Durango resident Tom Kalinowski 70-73–143
Powell, Ohio (103 players for 13 spots)
35. Jim Knous of Englewood 70-73–143
74. Cameron Harrell of Colorado Springs 82-75–157
Springfield, Ohio (59 players for 4 spots)
6. Parker Edens of Greeley 70-70–140
Memphis, Tenn. (121 players for 10 spots)
34. Former CSU golfer Martin Laird 68-72–140
50. Former Denver resident Mark Hubbard 69-73–142
97. Bryan Kruse of Westminster 81-75–156
Houston (51 players for 3 spots)
5. Former CU golfer Josh Creel 69-71–140
33. A.J. Morris of Aspen 72-76–148
44. Andrew Moore of Loveland 76-77–153
