The Race to the U.S. Open: Washington

Race to the U.S. Open: Washington Final Qualifying Breakdown

‍The course 

Tacoma Country and Golf Club has a unique history. It was developed in 1894 and was the first golf course in the Western United States not on a military reservation. The architect was an Englishman named Alexander Baillie, who wasn’t an accomplished golfer but helped with the course design. The course measures 6,900 yards and is a par-71. 

‍Players in the field: 56

‍Qualifying spots available: Not confirmed, but based on field size, probably three.

Most decorated player in the field

‍• Andres Gonzales: The two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner has mostly retired from full-time golf and is now an announcer for PGA Tour Live. But he has played more than 120 events on both the PGA and Korn Ferry Tours. Famous for his Fu Mancho mustache and outgoing personality, Gonzales is a cult hero in the golf world. 

‍PGA Tour winners in the field

None. This is the only of the 10 Monday sites that does not have a PGA Tour winner in the field. 

‍Storylines

‍• Joe Highsmith: Highsmith, who grew up down the road in Lakewood, Wash.,  had an outstanding career at Pepperdine, finishing with the best career scoring average in program history. He is in the middle of a solid Korn Ferry Tour season, having made eight of nine cuts. He stands 28th on the KFT points list. 

‍• Russell Grove: Grove has been the coach at Northern Idaho College for nine seasons. Last month he qualified for the PGA Championship, where he missed the cut after rounds of 79-79. Now he looks to add the U.S. Open to his resume.

‍• Zihao Jin: The San Diego State graduate won the California State Open last year with a closing 66. Jin plays mini-tours on the West Coast, including the Asher Tour. 

‍• Wheaton Ennis: Ennis won’t graduate from high school until 2024, but the Texas A&M commit has plenty of game. In April he won the Heather Farr Classic on the AJGA Tour, bolstered by a second-round 65. 

‍• George Markham: Mark Baldwin played with Markham in the Reno Open. He is a great dude and is sponsored by Burrito Express, an Arizona restaurant chain. It has helped a lot of mini-tour guys out, and it is awesome to see small-business owners helping out these players. 

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Notables

Joe Fryer, Justin Kim, Jesse Schutte

Link to leaderboard and tee times: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/4225517