Timing right for Koch
Teaching pro earns spot in sectional
HARTFORD – If he weren’t getting married in Oconomowoc on June 24, Joshua Koch of Windermere, Fla., wouldn’t have been at Washington County Golf Course on Wednesday for U.S. Open local qualifying.
“My fiancée is from Oconomowoc,” Koch said. “We scheduled a food-testing this week, so I figured I might as well try to qualify up here.”
Good decision. The 27-yearold teaching professional shot a 4-under-par 68 in the wind to claim the top spot in the field of 76.
Four others advanced to 36hole sectional qualifying June 5: John Gullberg of Franksville (69), Kyle Driscoll of Pewaukee (71), Austin Gaugert of Lake Geneva (72) and Maxwell Hosking of Madison (72). All are professionals.
Koch played a practice round at Washington County on Tuesday and found the course was a good fit for his game.
“I knew it was going to be a good golf course for me because I hit it pretty long,” he said. “My club-head speed is in the 125, 127 (mph) range.”
That’s Dustin Johnson-Rory McIlroy territory.
Koch, who played college golf at Florida Southern, drove the green on the downwind 450yard ninth hole, his 18th, and two-putted for a birdie. He also eagled one of the par-5 holes and played them in 4-under.
This will be Koch’s first trip to sectional qualifying. He’s one step away from the 117th U.S. Open, June 15-18 at Erin Hills Golf Course, just 8 miles down the road from Washington County Golf Course.
“We get married the weekend after Erin Hills,” he said. “So it would be quite a story if I made it there.”
Driscoll, 24, turned pro in October after playing at Northern Iowa. The Arrowhead High School graduate played on Florida mini-tours in the winter and will play on the Dakotas Tour this summer as he prepares for Web.com Tour qualifying.
Driscoll was 2-over par through four holes but birdied Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 11.
“I putted the ball extremely well,” he said. “I had 29 putts. Every putt looked like it was going in. I managed my game really well in the wind.”
Gullberg, Gaugert and Hosking have been fixtures on the state golf scene for a number of years.