By Jada Ross, Sports@CJC

JUPITER, Fla. — PGA Tour veterans Matt Kuchar and Daniel Berger were among the five golfers who earned berths in the U.S. Open on Monday in the final-round qualifier at The Bear’s Club.

Seventy-one golfers started the day in steamy Jupiter, hoping to secure one of five available spots in next week’s major championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina. LIV Tour player Dean Burmester, amateur Luke Clanton and journeyman pro Willie Mack III also emerged from what is known as “Golf’s Longest Day,” when hundreds of golfers competed in the 10 final qualifiers — each 36-hole, one-day gauntlets — across North America.

Three former UF golfers were in the Jupiter field. Chris Nido, who played for the Gators from 2017-20, finished just two shots shy of making the playoff after rounds of 72 and 71. Meanwhile, 2023 UF national champion Fred Biondi was 5-over for the day. Brett Stegmaier (2002-06) had to withdraw from the qualifier midway through his opening round.

Kuchar, a nine-time Tour winner who resides in Jupiter, used his experience to finish at the top of the leaderboard. His familiarity with his home course helped him. After shooting 2-under 70 in his opening round, he roared back with six birdies and only one bogey in the second round to card a 67 and finish at 7-under, squeezing past Berger by one stroke.

“Thirty-six [holes] is a long day in the heat and humidity, and fortunately my game stayed strong,” said Kuchar, 45, who will be playing in his 21st U.S. Open. “[Pinehurst] is certainly a test I know is going to be punishing, but it’s one I look forward to trying my hand at.” 

For Mack, 36 holes weren’t enough to earn his ticket to Pinehurst. Mack, who played last year on the Korn Ferry Tour, birdied the final hole of regulation to climb into a three-man playoff, which included collegiate-golf amateurs Brendan Valdes (Auburn University) and Thomas Ponder (University of Alabama), for the coveted fifth and final spot.

With darkness falling, Ponder hit his drive out of bounds and was eliminated after making a double bogey on the first playoff hole. On the second playoff hole, Valdes’ par putt agonizingly lipped out to hand Mack, who parred both holes, his golden ticket to Pinehurst.

“It’s been a long journey.” Mack said. “This is my 12th year playing professional golf and this is my first major. So, I’m sure I’ll soak it all in and it’ll be super exciting for not only me, but for my family.”

Enduring many personal and professional struggles, like losing his Korn Ferry card last year and falling just short of qualifying in sectionals in a six-man playoff in 2021, Mack said he is grateful and excited for the opportunity to play in Pinehurst next week. 

“I probably needed this to prove to myself that I can play out there,” Mack said. “I’m just excited to get back out there and show the world what I can do.”

Berger, meanwhile, will be headed to his ninth U.S. Open. The 31-year-old Tour veteran got off to a sensational early start, firing an opening-round 65 that featured six birdies and an eagle. 

“I did everything well,” Berger said about his first 18. “I hit it really well, I putted it well, I chipped it well. It was nice to get off to a good start and take a little pressure off this afternoon.” 

As conditions toughened as the weather got hotter, Berger closed with a 1-over 73 to finish at 6-under for the day, which was more than enough to earn a spot back into the Open for the first time since 2022.

Berger, who played collegiately at Florida State, suffered a back injury that sidelined him for nearly two years, and he only returned to the Tour in January. His extended absence meant he needed to qualify for the Open for just the second time in his career.

“It was actually kind of fun for me cause I hadn’t done it in a long time,” said Berger, who has two top-10 Open finishes in his career (2016, 2021). “So, it kind of reminded me of being fresh out on Tour, and I’m excited to get back out there [to Pinehurst]. I looked at it as kind of a positive, even though some people tend to stress out over it; so, for me, it was fun.”

Burmester also finished 6-under and T2 alongside Berger. Burmester, who turned pro in 2010, will be making his third U.S. Open and ninth major appearance. The South African last played in the U.S. Open in 2019, when he missed the cut at Pebble Beach. Burmester was the only one of the eight LIV golfers who played in Jupiter to advance to Pinehurst.

The other qualifier was Clanton, a rising junior at Florida State. Clanton finished 5-under after rounds of 70 and 69. Last week, Clanton led the Seminoles to the finals of the NCAA men’s golf national championships in Carlsbad, California.

Meanwhile, Kuchar was playing at the Canadian Open, where he roomed with Berger. Both missed the cut after shooting 8-over for the tournament. Although they are competitors, the Tour veterans are also good friends — and now they’ll make their way alongside 151 other golfers beginning next Thursday.

“We shared a house last week,” Kuchar said. “So, we discussed a lot about going to Pinehurst or not, and who knows, we might be sharing a house in Pinehurst now.”

Jada Ross is a Sports Journalism student at the University of Florida. She will be covering her first U.S. Open.

Posted: June 5, 2024
Category: Covering the U.S. Open
Tagged as: 2024 U.S. Open, Covering the U.S. Open