In battling the Memphis heat and humidity while attempting to qualify for the U.S. Open in recent years, Steve Allan (pictured) just ended up getting steamed. So this year the Australian decided to try something different by coming to Colorado for U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying.
That turned out to be a wise change of venue as the PGA Tour player earned medalist honors Monday in the 36-hole qualifying at Columbine Country Club.
Allan, despite struggling this year on Tour (seven missed cuts in eight events), posted a 5-under-par 139 total to clinch a trip to the June 18-21 U.S. Open, set for the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. Joining him there will be Monday’s second-place finisher at Columbine, Charlie Beljan, who holed a 5-foot downhill birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Boyd Summerhays of Phoenix for the second and final Open berth. Both Beljan (70-70) and Summerhays (68-72) finished at 4-under-par for two rounds at Columbine.
“The putt I made to win the (2002) U.S. Junior Amateur was the biggest putt I’ve ever made, but that was the second-biggest,” Beljan said of his effort on the 18th hole in the playoff. “It feels real good.”
Beljan, a three-time winner on the Gateway Tour this year, hit a wedge from 147 yards to 5 feet beyond the hole in the playoff. Then Summerhays’ approach went 18 feet past the hole. After Summerhays’ putt ran 4 feet by, Beljan snuck his birdie attempt into the left edge of the cup after spectators had loudly noted he pulled the putt.
“I guess it doesn’t matter if putts don’t drop (most of the day) as long as you make it when it counts,” the 24-year-old Beljan said. “”¦ Now I’ve got a big chance. Let’s see what we can do with that.”
Allan and Beljan both live in Arizona — Allan in Scottsdale and Beljan in Mesa — and both will be making return trips to the U.S. Open. Allan will be competing for the fourth time — but his first since placing 28th in 2005 — and Beljan for the second straight year (he missed the cut in 2008).
Allan has been a regular on the PGA Tour for every year but one since 2001, and though he hasn’t won an event, he’s finished second twice and he posted three top-seven performances in the fall of 2008.
Allan played The International in Castle Rock five times in his career, finishing as high as 20th. And because he enjoyed the area, he decided that Colorado might be a good U.S. Open qualifying site this year. And indeed it turned out to be on Monday as he made nine birdies and a 50-foot chip-in eagle on the par-5 12th in the afternoon round.
“It was good fun,” said the 35-year-old native of Melbourne, Australia. “It’s nice to get into the Open. There’s a lot of history there.”
As for Beljan, the former University of New Mexico standout has been dominating the Gateway Tour this year. His three wins include one last week, and with $135,164 in earnings, he leads the money list by about $52,000. And on Monday, he continued his strong play with 11 birdies (including the one in the playoff). To put it simply, Beljan was smoking, both figuratively (with his play) and literally (with a cigarette in hand).
“Coming up from the desert this was a real treat,” he said. “The course was unbelievable.”
Beljan, who has never before been to New York, plans to make up for some lost time by traveling to the state a full nine days before the U.S. Open begins.
A field of 28 players, including five amateurs, competed over 36 holes at Columbine on Monday. Summerhays will be the first alternate from the Sectional, with Pat Grady of Broomfield (73-69–142) being the second after prevailing in a playoff. Kevin Stadler, like Allan a PGA Tour regular, finished two shots out of the Beljan-Summerhays playoff.
“I played very poorly,” said Stadler, a Kent Denver graduate who is planning to buy a summer home in Colorado in the near future.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL LEADERBOARD AND SCORECARDS
QUALIFIERS
Steve Allan, Australia, 70-69–139
Charlie Beljan, Mesa, Ariz., 70-70″”140
ALTERNATES IN ORDER
Boyd Summerhays, Phoenix, Ariz., 68-72–140
Pat Grady, Broomfield, Colo., 73-69–142
OTHERS
Dustin Mills, Northglenn, Colo., 67-75–142
Kevin Stadler, Scottsdale, Ariz., 71-71–142
Benjamin Clark, San Angelo, Texas, 72-71–143
Drew Stoltz, Fort Collins, Colo., 71-72–143
Zen Brown (a), Arvada, Colo., 69-74–143
Benjamin Weatherly (a), Australia, 69-75–144
Mike Kitowski, Aurora, Colo., 74-70–144
Tom Whitney (a), La Quinta, Calif., 74-71–145
Jason Preeo, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 72-76–148
Robb Bierbaum, Albuquerque, N.M., 76-72–148
Micah Rudosky, Cortez, Colo., 74-75–149
Shawn Wills, Englewood, Colo., 77-72–149
Joshua Kelley, Upland, Calif., 75-75–150
Tyler Watts, Pine Haven, Wyo., 74-76–150
Caine Fitzgerald, Aurora, Colo., 74-77–151
Michael Nicolette, Scottsdale, Ariz., 79-74–153
Robert Quaratino, Commerce City, Colo., 81-72–153
Jacob Lestishen, Lone Tree, Colo., 77-77–154
Dan McCarthy, Syracuse, N.Y., 79-78–157
Andrew Augustyniak (a), Tempe, Ariz., 75-83–158
Jay Osmon, Alamosa, Colo., 79-81–160
Michael Curtis (a), New London, N.H., 89-78–167
Jon Levy, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 89-81–170
