Senior 4 Ball
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109th US Open Qualifying - May 13th
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Updated: Thu 5/7/2009 7:17 am
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May 13th - Persimmon Woods Golf Club
109th U.S. Open Local Qualifying
Six players out of a field of 101 will earn their spot at Sectional Qualifying for the 109th playing of the United States Open to be played in June at Bethpage Black. A combination of local amateurs, Gateway PGA Professionals and mini-tour professionals will tee it up at Persimmon Woods Golf Club in pursuit of a spot in the national championship.
A few players to watch if you intend to make your way to Persimmon Woods on May 13th to take in the action include:
Bob Gaus - The top player in the Gateway PGA has experience competing in major championships. There hasn't been a national qualifying in recent memory that didn't include Gaus as a favorite to advance.
Mike Tucker - The Bellerive Country Club Head Professional is a threat to win whenever he tees it up. After a year of managing the activity around the BMW Championship that was contested at his club, Tucker is sure to have a little weight off his shoulders.
Ted Maloney - Fresh of a first place tie at the St. Louis Publinx where he posted a smooth 67, Maloney is one of a select few amateur players off to a hot start in 2009.
Skip Berkmeyer - The reigning Metropolitan Amateur Player of the Year and undisputed top player on the St. Louis amateur scene is also coming off a tie for 1st at the St. Louis Publinx. His leading score of 67 came after a disappointing performance at the Coleman Invitational at Seminole Golf Club. Berkmeyer has experience competing in USGA National Championships but has never advanced to the U.S. Open field before - could this be the year?
Barry O'Neill - A mini-tour professional who has experienced a lot bouncing around the various minor league circuits in golf. A former standout at St. Louis University, O'Neill is familiar with golf in St. Louis and has the game to go low.
Matt Rau - The former St. Mary's High School standout and Junior to be at University of Missouri-St. Louis, Rau is anxious to compete. After 3 semester on the sidelines awaiting reinstatement after transferring from Rockhurst University to UMSL, Rau is eager to get his competitive juices flowing. Rau is coming off a solid summer campaign of 2008 and looking for bigger and better in 2009.
Brian Fogt - Another staple on the Gateway PGA circuit, Fogt also has experience playing on the grand stage of professional golf. Don't count him out.
Chris Seiffert - One of the area's top high school players, Seiffert could be one to surprise the field to grab one of the six spots available.
Brian Kennedy - Leading after round one at the Ozark Invitational, Kennedy struggled in the second round in the difficult wind at Westwood Hills Country Club. A member at Persimmon Woods Golf Club, Kennedy will leverage home course advantage here.
Michael Wellington - Michael has made a committment to get back out on the mini-tours to find his way to the next level. The U.S. Open local qualifying presents the perfect platform to take that next step.
J.C. Anderson - One of the Gateway Section's most experienced tournament golfers, Anderson is looking to parley winter success in Florida into a trip to Bethpage Black in June. If forced to pick one player to medal on May 13th, Anderson would be on the short list for sure.
Robert Meeh - Meeh competes among the regular division while eligible for the Senior Circuit because he can still get it going on any given day, especially at Persimmon Woods where he is a member. A regular on Persimmon Woods inter club teams, Meeh knows this golf course and knows it well under tournament conditions.
Tim Cochran - Coming off team leading season for UMSL, Cochran narrowly missed a berth in the Super Regionals where he could have then played his way into the Division II National Championship. After missing out on the invitation to Super Regionals, Cochran quickly turned his focus to May 13th and the chance to advance out of local qualifying at Persimmon Woods. Arguably one of the hottest players in the field.
Steve Hausmann - The Alongquin Golf Club Head Professional has maintained a position at the top of the Gateway Section for many years. Few golfers will bring the experience of Hausmann into this one day shootout.
Parker LaBarge - Traveling the mini-tours will teach you a lot. Combine that with a game as strong as LaBarge's and it's just a matter of time when sparks will fly. LaBarge has already enjoyed some very low scores during his short time traveling the Hooters Tour and he will be coming home to St. Louis to showcase his improved game.
Troy Halterman - A new name for many in the St. Louis area, but a familiar name to golf professionals in the Gateway and Midwest Sections. Halterman graduated from Kansas State University after transferring from Oklahoma State University. A regular at the National Club Professional Championship, Halterman has maintained his competitive edge even while growing a fine career as a PGA Professional at Kansas City Country Club, Wolf Creek and most recently Oakwood Country Club. After relocating to the St. Louis area this spring, Halterman assumed the role of Assistant Golf Coach at UMSL.
Chris Naegel - A graduate of Missouri Baptist University and former amateur standout in the St. Louis area, Naegel turned professional a few years back to try his hand on the mini-tours after a short, but impressive amateur run. Naegel has quailfied for a U.S. Amateur Championship and appreciates what the opportunity to compete for a national championships means.
Darren Lundgren - If not for Skip Berkmeyer, Lundgren would sit atop the amateur game in St. Louis. Already a multiple time winner in 2009, Lundgren is coming off a win at the Ozark Invitational in Poplar Bluff in late April. There isn't a golf course too long for Lundgren and his putting is too often underestimated. Similar to J.C. Anderson above, if forced to pick one person to medal on Wednesday, Lundgren would be on the short list.
Jeff Escott - The best may very well be saved for last here. Escott, a former Canadian Tour professional, and Assistant Professional at Persimmon Woods Golf Club will bring as much of a home course advantage into this one day shootout as anyone in the field.
| Time |
Tee |
Player |
City/State |
| 7:45 am |
1 |
William Liebe |
Chesterfield, Mo. |
| Collin Neeman |
Waterloo, Ill. |
| 7:45 am |
10 |
Sean Walls |
Edwardsville, Ill. |
| Mike Tucker |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Kevin Triefenbach |
Freeburg, Ill. |
| 7:55 am |
1 |
Severiano Smith |
Joplin, Mo. |
| Shawn Edgar |
Fulton, Mo. |
| Ryan Reeves |
Saint Charles, Calif. |
| 7:55 am |
10 |
Nathan Bise |
Waterloo, Ill. |
| Todd Johnson |
Lebanon, Ohio |
| Brian Coe |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 8:05 am |
1 |
David Marshall |
Wildwood, Mo. |
| Brett Moomey |
O'Fallon, Mo. |
| Matthew Bosick |
St Charles, Mo. |
| 8:05 am |
10 |
Ted Moloney |
Clayton, Mo. |
| Allen Kohnen |
Germantown, Ill. |
| Nash Haxel |
Saint Louis, Mo. |
| 8:15 am |
1 |
S Paul Juenger |
Shiloh, Mo. |
| Justin Fetcho |
McLeansboro, Ill. |
| Tony Johnson |
Lake St Louis, Mo. |
| 8:15 am |
10 |
Jeff Jerden |
Granite City, Ill. |
| Richard Berkmeyer |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Steven Groover |
Auburn, Ala. |
| 8:25 am |
1 |
Austin Pearl |
New Smyrna Beach, Fla. |
| Brandon Brown |
Shelbyville, Ky. |
| Jarell James |
Mount Vernon, Ill. |
| 8:25 am |
10 |
Matthew Miller |
Eldon, Mo. |
| Dustin Ashby |
Ofallon, Mo. |
| Andrew S Medley |
Auburn, Ala. |
| 8:35 am |
1 |
Paul Neeman |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Barry O'Neill |
Columbia |
| Shane Blankenship |
Cave Creek, Ariz. |
| 8:35 am |
10 |
John Bailey |
Nashville, Tenn. |
| Matthew Rau |
Saint Louis, Mo. |
| Brian Fogt |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 8:45 am |
1 |
Eddie Stahlhuth |
Labadie, Mo. |
| Jack Ehlers |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Stephen Bunt |
St Peters, Mo. |
| 8:45 am |
10 |
B J Hutson |
Troy, Mo. |
| Chris Seiffert |
Wentzville, Mo. |
| Christopher Nelson |
Jefferson City, Mo. |
| 8:55 am |
1 |
Brian Kennedy |
Chesterfield, Mo. |
| Matthew Keith |
Springfield, Mo. |
| Michael Wellington |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 8:55 am |
10 |
Alex Key |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Chance Holden |
Dexter, Mo. |
| J C Anderson |
O'Fallon, Mo. |
| 9:05 am |
1 |
Brian Binford |
O'Fallon, Mo. |
| Jared Nash |
Dixon, Mo. |
| Jonathan Voelz |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 9:05 am |
10 |
Brock Robillard |
St Charles |
| Robert Meeh |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Brandon Coffey |
Maryland Heights, Mo. |
| 9:15 am |
1 |
Tim Cochran |
Des Peres, Mo. |
| David Johnson |
Kirkwood, Mo. |
| Craig Liddle |
O'Fallon, Mo. |
| 9:15 am |
10 |
Travis Thompson |
Benton, Ky. |
| Kevin Bell |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Steve Hausmann |
Columbia, Ill. |
| 12:00 pm |
1 |
Joseph Christian |
Ballwin, Ill. |
| Dan Emrick |
Saint Peters, Mo. |
| Parker Labarge |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 12:00 pm |
10 |
Todd Obergoenner |
Cape Girardeau, Mo. |
| Mark Donovan |
Ofallon, Ill. |
| Troy Halterman |
Weldon Spring, Mo. |
| 12:10 pm |
1 |
Blaine Kruger |
Lac La Biche |
| Matt Roberts |
Springfield, Mo. |
| Nicklos Rousey |
Pensacola, Fla. |
| 12:10 pm |
10 |
Ben Wood |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Tim Laufer |
Ellisville, Mo. |
| Chris Naegel |
Chesterfield, Mo. |
| 12:20 pm |
1 |
Blake Driskell |
Cape Girardeau, Mo. |
| Garrett Jones |
Rewey, Wis. |
| Daniel Metz Jr |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 12:20 pm |
10 |
Martin O'Brien |
O'Leary |
| Tony Ross |
Lemont, Ill. |
| Robert Gaus |
St Louis, Mo. |
| 12:30 pm |
1 |
Bo Sarratt |
Gentry, Ark. |
| Harry Daw |
O'Fallon, Mo. |
| Benjiman Kent |
Chesterfield, Mo. |
| 12:30 pm |
10 |
Joe Behl |
St Louis, Mo. |
| Darren Lundgren |
Grover, Mo. |
| Samuel Goulden |
Washington, Mo. |
| 12:40 pm |
1 |
Thomas Helfrich |
Brentwood, Mo. |
| Derrick Bohannon |
Stuart, Ky. |
| John Bunch |
Jonesboro, Ark. |
| 12:40 pm |
10 |
Michael Speicher |
Mascoutah, Ill. |
| John Anderson |
Saint Louis, Mo. |
| Ty Zimmerman |
St Charles, Mo. |
| 12:50 pm |
1 |
Thomas Ponce |
Edwardsville, Ill. |
| Brian Norman |
Carterville, Ill. |
| Jeff Escott |
Saint Charles |
| 12:50 pm |
10 |
Shawn Wallingsford |
Eureka, Mo. |
| Dalton Owens |
Mount Vernon, Mo. |
| Craig Story |
Columbia, Ill. |
| 1:00 pm |
1 |
Justin Bliss |
O'Fallon, Mo. |
| Jimmy Bals |
Saint Louis, Mo. |
| Britt Pavelonis |
Harrisburg, Ill. |
| 1:00 pm |
10 |
Justin Robinson |
Cahokia, Ill. |
| Bob Phillips |
Hecker, Ill. |
| Zach Morrison |
Gulfport, Miss. |
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