Harold Varner and Sergio Garcia were forced to qualify for the U.S. Open the hard way. Only one of them got through.
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Golf’s Longest Day, as the Monday before U.S. Open week is known, is Monday, June 5, with 10 different final qualifying sites hosting 36-hole gauntlets that offer a handful of spots into next week’s U.S. Open. This year, that means something different than ever before, as LIV Golf players who might have typically already been exempt in the past are competing for the final few spots in the field.
What does it all add up to? Fifteen LIV-ers competing in eight different qualifiers across the country Monday. That comes in addition to three others who competed in the Texas qualifier two weeks ago. Sergio Garcia was the lone LIV player who qualified from that event, after shooting a pair of 66s, while Graeme McDowell started hot but finished poorly and missed the playoff for the final spot by just one shot.
As for the rest of the LIV players, here’s how they have fared. This post will be updated throughout the day as scores roll in.
Durham, N.C. — 76 players for five spots
Harold Varner III: eight under, three shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Columbus, Ohio — 103 players for 11 spots
Peter Uihlein: Two under, six shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Jason Kokrak: Two under, six shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Scott Vincent: Seven under, one shot out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Springfield, Ohio — 75 players competing for five spots
James Piot: Four under, three shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Ball Ground, Ga. — 43 players for three spots
Andy Ogletree: Eight under, three shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Summit, N.J. — 67 players for four spots
Cameron Tringale: Three under, two shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Rockville, Md. — 60 players for four spots
Sebastian Munoz: Three under, advances through 4-for-2 playoff
Marc Leishman: Even par, three shots out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Boynton Beach, Fla. — 51 players for three spots
Carlos Ortiz: Three under, advances through 3-for-1 playoff
Matthew Wolff: Withdrew
Los Angeles, Calif. — 89 players for five spots
Brendan Steele: Eight under, one shot out of playoff (failed to qualify)
David Puig: 10 under, advancing one shot ahead of a playoff
Matt Jones: Four under, five shots back (failed to qualify)
Danny Lee: No Show
Dallas, Texas (May 22) — 120 players for eight spots
Sergio Garcia: Nine under, finished T4 to qualify
Graeme McDowell: Seven under, one shot out of playoff (failed to qualify)
Branden Grace: Did Not Finish
RECAP!
Four of the 18 LIV golfers who signed up to play final qualifying advanced through to the U.S. Open: Sergio Garcia, Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz, David Puig
Sean Zak is a writer at GOLF Magazine and just published his first book, which follows his travels in Scotland during the most pivotal summer in the game’s history.