Blair, Rask qualify for 2014 U.S. Open Championship
Zac Blair and Clayton Rask earned themselves spots in the 2014 U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 after sectional qualifying on Monday held at Emerald Valley Golf and Resort in Creswell, Ore.
Blair ran away from the field on a beautiful Monday afternoon, firing a 3-underpar 69 in his first round and eclipsing it with a 4-underpar 68 on the second 18, finishing with a two-round total of 137 (-7). Blair ended his day by holing out on the 36th hole from 30 yards out for birdie, capping a special day for the St. George, Utah resident.
"I played solid and was able to keep the ball in front of me and give myself a lot of opportunities," said Blair, who beat out 49 other qualifiers on Monday. "When I finally made it, it was really nice to know that I would be playing in the U.S. Open."
With his fiancé, Alicia, caddying at his side, Blair led for most of the second 18 holes. Just one shot behind after the first round, his second-round 68 tied for the low score of the qualifier and was the lowest score of the second 18.
Rask, from Otsego, Minn., used a strong finish to qualify for his first U.S. Open Championship. Playing the front nine as his second nine in the second round, Rask birdied the 7th and 8th holes, overcoming a late deficit to earn the second qualifying spot. Rask finished with a two-round total of 141 (-3).
Two players with Oregon ties earned both alternate spots on Monday. Brandon McIver, who plays golf at the University of Oregon in Eugene, just a 10-minute drive from Emerald Valley, finished in the first alternate spot after shooting a combined 142 (-2). McIver held the second qualifying spot for much of the second round, until a double bogey on the par-4 15th pushed him out of the top two.
Paul Peterson took the second alternate spot, firing a second-round 70 (-2) to propel himself to a two-round total of 143 (-1). Peterson is originally from Oregon and played collegiate golf at Oregon State University.
The 50 players at Monday's qualifier marked the most ever for a sectional qualifying event held in Oregon. The 2014 U.S. Open Championship will be held at Pinehurst No.2 in Pinehurst, N.C. from June 12-15.
