U.S. Open Qualifier

from The Metropolitan: Volume 8, No. 3

18th East Side Amateur

Four Advance to U.S. Open Final Qualifying from Spencer T. Olin

Alton, IL – The first step in the road to the U.S. Open went through the Saint Louis area on Monday, May 10th.. 76 players teed it up for an 18hole qualifier for the chance to advance to final qualifying for the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

Three players tied for Low Scorer of the day, taking up the first three qualifying spots.

Michael Feagles, fresh off a Big Ten team title with Illinois, carded a 3-under 68 after going off in the early morning in the third group of the day. His clubhouse lead stood until the very end and he grabbed the first qualifying spot.

The fifth-year senior went bogey-free 2-under until his first miscue on the 11th hole. Another bogey and three birdies down the stretch, including one on No. 18, saw him finish in red figures at 3-under.

The Stillwater Regional is next for Feagles and the Illini before he goes to final qualifying later this month.

“The USGA does a great job of presenting opportunities for anyone and everybody to be able to contend for a national open,” Feagles said. “I’m excited and looking forward to the opportunity.”

Shane Smith earned the second qualifying spot. The Korn Ferry Tour player played consistent golf all day (Four birdies, one bogey) on the way to his 3-under 68. The Godfrey, Illinois native made the turn at 1-under and added two birdies on the back to tie Feagles on the leaderboard.

“There are a few pins out there you can’t be too aggressive into,” Smith said. “I managed myself well on those, minimized the mistakes, and made some birdies.”

Carr Vernon used a big back nine to post a 3-under and tie Feagles and Smith. The Poplar Bluff native qualified in 2019 at Fox Run Golf Club and got the same result this time around grabbing a top-four spot again.

Vernon went into red figures early with birdies on No.’s 2 and 5, but bogeys on 7-89 quickly got him over par. Knowing the number he needed to qualify, Vernon went bogey-free 4-under on the back-nine to grab the third qualifying spot and tie for Low Scorer.

“It was a grind out there,” Vernon said. “I started off well with a couple birdies, then a couple bogeys. I knew I had to get back under to qualify, I just hung in there and made birdies here and there to finish off.”

Chris Naegel earned the fourth spot with a 2-under 69. The Wildwood native put together a solid round with four birdies and just two bogeys to advance to final qualifying.

The four will be headed to a final qualifying spot for the chance to earn a spot in the field at Torrey Pines.

Michael Pfitzner and Wesley Hunter claimed the first and second alternate spots.

The 121st U.S. Open is set for June 17-20 at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Four Advance to U.S. Open Final Qualifying from Spencer T. Olin

Michael Feagles Shane Smith

Carr Vernon Chris Naegel

Chipper Grip

This edition of Rules Quiz features an excerpt from MAGA official John Thorman’s e-book, Let’s Get It Right.

Dear John: One of my golf buddies and I have been discussing a rule. I have a chipper wedge (single-faced) in my bag, and I want to put a putter grip on it (bigger and flattened on one side). My buddy says that only one putting grip can exist in your bag. But I read recently that Adam Scott had two putters in his bag. Why can’t I put a wider grip on my chipper and call it a putter? With the chipper, I only have 14 clubs. In any case, I want my buddy to buy a similar chipper and quit making terrible chips with his irons! - GetAGrip

Dear GetAGrip: That’s a lot to digest. Some players like using a putting stroke with a single-faced chipper around the putting green for improved chip shots. But please don’t put a putter grip on the club! That will make the chipper a non-conforming club and making a stroke with it that counts towards the player’s score will result in disqualification (Rule 4.1a(1)).

The reason is that a chipper is considered an iron (USGA/R&A “Equipment Rules” (v1.1. Part 2 - Conformance of Clubs, I. Clubs a. General). A chipper generally has greater than 10 degrees loft, versus 10 degrees maximum for a putter, and otherwise conforms with the requirements of woods and irons. As an iron, the chipper must have a grip with a circular cross-section*. A putter is the only club that may have a non-circular grip (e.g., flattened on one side). Here’s a thought – consider a jumbo circular grip on your chipper.

I don’t know how often players carry multiple putters, but it’s allowed within the 14-club limit (Rule 4.1b(1)). Indeed, Adam Scott carried two putters every day but Friday during the 2018 PGA Championship at the Bellerive Country Club in St Louis, as well as at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Tournament the previous week. His strategy was to use a long putter for short putts, and a short putter for long putts! Adam finished in third place behind Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods.

* There are two exceptions to circular cross-sections for grips on clubs other than putters. One is a continuous, straight, slightly raised “reminder” rib along the length of the grip. The other is a slightly indented spiral on a wrapped grip.