5/14/25
(Pullman, WA) Yesterday, Palouse Ridge Golf Club hosted a U.S. Open Local Qualifier. 93 players teed it up, with only five players advancing to Final Qualifying.
Sean Walsh from Keller, Texas, took medalist honors with a scintillating bogey-free round of 63, seven under par. Walsh fired a 29 on the front nine, featuring six birdies and three pars. Walsh shot 34 on the back nine, with his lone birdie coming at the 15th hole. Brady Calkins from Chehalis and Troy Smith from Liberty Lake each shot 67 to finish in second place.
There was a seven-way tie for fourth, with only two spots available. Josh Anderson from Murrieta, California, and Skyler Finnell from San Diego advanced in the playoff to secure their spots in the U.S. Open Final Qualifying. Ben Borgida, an Amateur from Richmond Beach, and Joel Skarbo from Bothell are the two alternates from Palouse Ridge.
The scoring average of the 86 players who completed their round from Palouse Ridge was 75.7. The hardest hole on the course was the 9th hole, a 472-yard par 4. The 9th hole played an average of 5.02, over a stroke over par, with only five birdies and 16 pars. There were 14 double bogeys and six triple bogeys or more on the challenging par four. The next hardest hole was the 17th hole, where the 480-yard par 4 didn’t see a birdie all day and played at an average of 4.95. The easiest hole of the day was the 10th hole, a 625-yard par 5, that played under par at an average of 4.93. There was one eagle and 25 birdies, compared to only 16 combined bogeys or worse. The front nine played a little harder than the back, with a scoring average of 38.05. The back nine played at an average of 37.67, and saw 20 more birdies and two more eagles than the front nine.
On June 2, Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla will host a Final Qualifier. The players advancing from Final Qualifying will head to the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.
Click here to view the full results from the Local Qualifier at Palouse Ridge.
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