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Stricker earns a spot in next weeks U.S. Open

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Steve Stricker

Edgerton’s Steve Stricker has earned a spot in next weeks U.S. Open Field, qualifying in Memphis, Tennessee on Monday.  Stricker shot rounds of 68 and 65 in 36-hole sectional qualifying to earn a spot in the U.S. Open field June 14-17.

Stricker has 12 wins on the PGA Tour and a pair of wins this year on the PGA Tour Champions, but he has never won a major.  He does have 13 top-10 finishes, four of them in the U.S. Open.  Stricker’s best finishes came in 1999 when he finished fifth.  He tied for fifth in 1998.

Last year, Stricker also advanced through sectional qualifying and tied for 16th at Erin Hills.

 

Practice continues at Erin Hills with the U.S. Open to start Thursday

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Shane Lowry watches his tee shot on the sixth hole during a practice round ahead of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills in Erin, Wash. on Monday, June 12, 2017. (Copyright USGA/Darren Carroll)

The world’s best golfers continue to get their practice rounds in as they prepare for the start of the U.S. Open on Thursday at Erin Hills.

The players love the course but not everything about the course.  The players that feel that way, have no doubt had an experience with the thick fescue that lines the fairways.

The fairways are generous in their width, which helps.  But if the pro’s miss, they’re in for some trouble.

Kevin Na posted a video on Instagram Sunday.  He tossed a ball into the thick grass, took a pair of swings before losing the ball entirely.  The airways are generally about 50% wider then most U.S. Open venues.  So players will be rewarded for driving it straight.  If they don’t, the penalty could prove difficult.

USGA officials will also have to keep an eye on the skies.  There is rain in the forecast for the week.  Wednesday and Saturday appear to be the two biggest threats, but there’s pop-up shower chances throughout the tournament.

A number of top golfers are scheduled to meet with reporters today to talk further about the course and their game, heading into the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Stricker set to tee off with Mickelson at U.S. Open

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Steve Stricker

Six-time U.S. Open runner-up Phil Mickelson is expected to withdraw from the U.S. Open to attend his daughter’s high school graduation in Carlsbad, California.  The ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 15, the same day as the opening round of the 2017 U.S. Open.

But Mickelson still hasn’t withdrawn, so he was included in the list of tee times for the first two days of the upcoming major at Erin Hills.

Mickelson is listed with Madison’s Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink, scheduled to tee off at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday and then again at 8:35 a.m. Friday on hole number 10.

Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon is the only other Wisconsin golfer in the U.S. Open field and will tee off on the first tee at 6:45 a.m. Thursday.  His second round will start at 12:30 p.m. on Friday.

Dustin Johnson is the defending U.S. Open champion.  He’ll tee off with a pair of former champions, Jordan Spieth and Martin Kaymer at 8:35 a.m. Thursday and 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Six golfers with Wisconsin ties set for US Open Qualifying

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Steve Stricker

With the start of the U.S. Open (June 15-18) at Erin Hills just a couple of weeks away, six golfers with Wisconsin ties will be attempting to earn a spot in the field through open qualifying on Monday.

Madison’s Steve Stricker tops the list.  He has played in 19 U.S. Opens and has 11 top-25 finishes.  Stricker finished fifth in both 1998 and 1999 and has 12 PGA Tour victories.  He’ll be joined at Germantown Country Club and Ridgeway Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee by two others. Mark Wilson of Menomonee Falls has four U.S. Open appearances.  26-year-old substitute teacher Austin Gaugert will be attempting to gain a spot in his first U.S. Open.

Marquette assistant golf coach Richard Todd will attempt to qualify in Columbus, Ohio.

Mequon’s Jordan Niebrugge, who won the silver medal as the low amateur (tied for 6th) in the 2016 Open Championship at St. Andrews, will take his shot in Tacoma, Washington.  Niebrugge won the 2013 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and was a member of the 2013 and 2015 Walker Cup teams.

Osceola’s 23-year-old Charlie Danielson will attempt to qualify in Springfield, Ohio.  He competed in his first U.S. Open last year at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club and was chosen 2016 Big Ten Conference Player of the Year.

 

Tickets on sale for 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills

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Erin Hills

Erin Hills

Tickets for the 2017 U.S. Open Championship at Erin Hills are now available for purchase on usga.org/tickets and usopen.com.

The 117th U.S. Open Championship, scheduled for June 15-18, will be the first in Wisconsin and the first in the Midwest since 2003 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois.  It will also be the sixth publicly accessible course to host the championship.

Erin Hills opened in 2006 and hosted the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the 2011 U.S. Amateur championships.

The 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club marks the 30th consecutive sellout of championship-round tickets.

 

Stricker won’t appear in this years U.S. Open

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Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

Madison’s Steve Stricker withdrew from a 36-hold sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio on Monday and won’t tee it up at the 115th U.S. Open.

Stricker shot a 71 on Monday and was far off the pace after the opening round.  A field of 120 golfers was playing for 15 spots in the upcoming U.S. Open.

Stricker has made a total of 19 U.S. Open appearances and has made the cut 17 times.  His best finish came at Pinehurst in 1999 when he ended up 5th.

The 2015 U.S. Open starts June 18th at Chambers Bay near Tacoma, Washington.

Madison’s Jerry Kelly and Mark Wilson of Menomonee Falls also shot 71’s, Kelly in Memphis, Tennessee and Wilson in Columbus and both also withdrew.

Amateurs Jordan Niebrugge of Mequon and Charlie Danielson of Osceola both failed to advance as well.  Fox Point native Skip Kendall fell far short of qualifying during an event in Purchase, New York.

Wilson earns spot in U.S. Open field

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769 golfers played for 56 spots in the U.S. Open field next week.  One golfer with Wisconsin ties finished high enough to claim a spot in the U.S. Open field in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Menomonee Falls native Mark Wilson tied for fourth in a sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio.  The field of 120 golfers played for 16 spots in the U.S. Open Field.

Wilson shot back-to-back 69’s and will join Madison’s Steve Stricker, who was exempt from qualifying.

Wilson has played in three U.S. Open’s, the last in 2012.  But he has just one top-25 finish this year.  He’s missed the cut in nine of his last 12 starts and is coming off a tie for 72nd at the Memorial Tournament last weekend.

North joins Ryder Cup effort

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U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has selected television analyst and two-time U.S.

Andy North

Andy North

Open champion Andy North of Madison as a vice captain for next year’s Ryder Cup matches.

North won the 1978 and 1985 U.S. Opens and played on the U.S. Ryder Cup team that lost to Europe in 1985.

The Ryder Cup will be held in September 2014 in Gleneagles, Scotland.  The Europeans have won seven of the last nine Ryder Cups, including the last two in a row.

Simpson wins 1st US Open

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If you wanted to watch the U.S. Open golf championships this past weekend,

Webb Simpson

you certainly were afforded the opportunity. 

ESPN and NBC split coverage on Thursday and Friday and then because the tournament was held on the West Coast in San Francisco, NBC provided coverage of the event from 3 to 9pm on Saturday and 3 to beyond 9pm Sunday. 

It all ended with Webb Simpson picking up his first major title since arriving on the PGA Tour.  Simpson birdied 4 holes in a 5 hole stretch as he made the turn to beat Michael Thompson and Graeme McDowell by 1-shot. [Read more…]