US Open qualifier to be played in Canada

NEW YORK: Canada will host a local qualifying event for the US Open for the first time, the US Golf Association announced on Tuesday, with Beacon Hall north of Toronto getting the nod.

In all, 114 18-hole local qualifying events will be conducted in 44 states and Canada from May 2-18 for the 117th US Open, to be played on June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin.

“We are pleased to conduct an international local qualifier for the first time in Canada as we continue to expand qualifying opportunities around the globe,” said Stuart Francis, USGA championship committee chairman.

Thousands of professional and amateur golfers worldwide take part in the two-tiered US Open qualifying process every year, with players advancing from local to 36-hole sectional qualifying events.

For the 13th consecutive year, Japan and England will host international sectional qualifying events, both scheduled in late May. Ten US sites will stage qualifiers on June 5.

Beacon Hall, located in Aurora, Ontario, opened for play in 1988. The outward nine is lined by stands of pine trees while the inward nine features fescue and waste bunkers.

Last year, there were 9,877 entries for the US Open at Oakmont, where new world number one Dustin Johnson of the United States won his first major title. A record 10,127 entries were received for the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst.