Hagestad’s major poise leads to U.S. Open berth
Stress is a big part of competitive golf, particularly when a U.S. Open berth is hanging in the balance.
Of the five players who advanced into next week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills through Monday’s 36-hole sectional qualifier at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J., three encountered different levels of stress.
Stewart Hagestad, the accomplished Californianative amateur who used to work in Manhattan, qualified for the 2017 Masters and won the prestigious low amateur hardware, was 2-over after his first nine holes and well out of contention before carding birdies on four of his final eight holes to qualify. Hagestad also played in the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills and missed the cut.
Mike Miller, a Brewster native, had to sweat out the wait until the last players finished their respective rounds to assure that he wasn’t headed for a playoff for the second consecutive year. Miller qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont through Canoe Brook and lost in a playoff in the sectional last year.
Then there was Theo Humphrey, 22, from Greenwich, Conn., who secured the fifth and final U.S. Open berth by defeating Mark Hoffman in a playoff. Hoffman is the first alternate from this section.
Cameron Wilson, a 25year-old from Rowayton, Conn., shared medalist honors at 7-under along with Scotsman Calum Hill, who played at Oregon State, to advance to his third U.S. Open.
Miller three-putted his final hole to fall to 6-under, which prompted his nervous wait with hopes that his score was enough to keep him out of the playoff.
“I three-jacked that last hole to make it so much more stressful on myself,’’ said Miller, who called Oakmont in 2016 “the best week of my life.’’
The best week of Hagestad’s golfing life was his Masters experience in 2017. He followed that by missing the cut at last year’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills. As he played his final 18 holes Monday, Hagestad, whose goal is to remain an amateur and qualify for major championships, had his eyes on another shot at a U.S. Open.
“I feel like when the pressure it’s on it allows me to focus a little bit more,’’ Hagestad said. “I knew what the stakes were and I knew I needed to play a little bit better. I told ‘JD’ (his Red Bank, N.J.-based caddie John Doherty) this morning walking off range, even though I wasn’t hitting it well, ‘If I could just put myself in a position to have the bright lights be on to where you know you need to hit good shots … ’ ’’ So he did. “He’s a gamer,’’ Doherty said. “When the lights go on he gets better. He was very calm. That’s what you learn when you play major championship golf. He’s not afraid of the big stage.’’
For Humphrey, who’s the reigning SEC Player of the Year from Vanderbilt, this stage is a new one. It’s his first major championship.
“It’s a really special way to kind of start off the next phase for me,’’ Humphrey said.
Steve Stricker, who last year medaled at a qualifier to earn a U.S. Open berth before finishing tied for 16th, is coming back after making the cutoff at a qualifier in Memphis, Tenn. Retief Goosen, who won the U.S. Open when it was last at Shinnecock in 2004, will not be returning. He missed the playoff for the final spot by three strokes.
Adam Scott, who has an 18-year major streak, qualified in Columbus, Ohio to play next weekend.