Kevin Hayashi of Hilo made the deadline for the U.S. Open Local Qualifiers with just 15 seconds to spare. For the first time this year, only online applications were accepted by the United States Golf Association for the 2011 U.S.
Kevin Hayashi of Hilo made the deadline for the U.S. Open Local Qualifiers with just 15 seconds to spare.
For the first time this year, only online applications were accepted by the United States Golf Association for the 2011 U.S. Open Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesday, Md., June 16 to 19, states a USGA release.
With the close of applications, the USGA has accepted 8,300 entries, including 680 on April 27, the final date applications could be submitted.
Among the entries are 65 golfers who are currently exempt into the field and 75 amateurs and professionals from Hawai‘i.
The qualifier playing May 18 at the Kaua‘i Lagoons Golf Resort is one of 111 local qualifiers for the U.S. Open.
Top qualifiers from each Local Qualifier will advance to one of 11 36-hole Sectional Qualifiers on June 6.
Of the 11 Sectional Qualifiers, at least one player from each qualifier will advance directly to the U.S. Open Championship.
Ron Castillo Jr. of Lihu‘e will pair off with Ben Fox of Studio City, Calif. when the Kaua‘i Lagoons Qualifier plays May 18. The pair tees off at 7:30 a.m., followed by Bronzen Winters of Princeville pairing off with Mark Scheibach of Bermuda Dunes, Calif., and Lorens Chan of Honolulu.
Marvin Terada of Kapa‘a joins Alvin Cadogan of Kalaheo and Glenn Tamagawa, the Kaua‘i High School golf coach, of Kapa‘a in an all-Kaua‘i grouping.
Thomas Freestone of Lihu‘e and Radford Sam Fong of Kapa‘a pair off with D. Matthew Pakkala of Honolulu.
Steve Murphy of Lawai, David Werner of Princeville and Kenneth Kimura of Lihu‘e form the final threesome, an all-Kaua‘i group.
Earlier in May, U.S. Open Qualifiers will be played at the King Kamehameha Golf Course in Wailuku, Maui on May 14.
Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, O‘ahu is the site for the May 15 Qualifier and the Waikoloa Kings’ Course in Waikoloa on the Big Island is the site for the May 16 event where Hayashi will tee off with Ben Garner of Kailua-Kona and Darren Sayre of Keauhou.
The U.S. Open Championship is one of 13 national championships hosted annually by the USGA.
Visit www.USGA.org for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
