How to Qualify for the U.S. Open in 5 Easy Steps

How to Qualify for the U.S. Open in 5 Easy Steps











Ryan Ballengee May 17, 2013 6:19 PM


COMMENTARY | Your chances of qualifying for the U.S. Open are pretty slim.



The USGA reported 9,860 players ponied up to go through the process that can include local and sectional qualifying -- in total, a gauntlet of up to 54 holes offering less than 1 percent
of entrants a berth in the national championship.





A year ago, I tried to qualify for the Open. It began as a quest to learn how to play muscleback irons, but eventually developed into a journey to see just how far my much improved game could take me.



I failed miserably in my local qualifier. I shot 87. After a par at my first hole, almost every tee shot after that was a disaster. However, I learned a lot that day, playing alongside a contestant that nearly earned a spot in sectionals, as well as covering Golf's Longest Day for Golf Channel in Columbus, Ohio, after the Memorial Tournament.



With local qualifying having ended May 16 and sectionals on June 3, I wanted to share my top five lessons from the experience for the trimmed field of hopefuls.



1. Play a practice round or two



I know it sounds obvious, but scheduling and actually playing a practice round or two at your qualifying site is a great idea. Developing a comfort level with the course takes some pressure out of the experience and saves you the embarrassment of flailing your arms around every time a putt doesn't move like you expect. The expletives -- both the silent and very audible varieties -- dissipate when you know what's coming.



Playing a practice round also means that you might actually be committed enough to do well in qualifying. Don't be like and try to qualify after flying back from covering The Players Championship. Learning by osmosis didn't work sleeping on my textbooks in college and they definitely didn't work watching Matt Kuchar and Tiger Woods for four days. Take a day off of work to give yourself a chance.



2. Don't get intimidated by who's in the field



At the sectional level, the odds are that there will be a number of PGA Tour and Web.com Tour pros in the field. Many may blend in the background at their day job -- after all, they're not good enough to be exempt from qualifying -- but they sure stand out in this setting. The staff bag. The clearly put-together attire. A caddie. Those traits are easy to spot when the only people in the gallery are parents and friends of other competitors, namely the ones without a job.



Pros are people just like you and me, however. They're outstanding players, but they get nervous, too. They want to be shoved into qualifying as much as an NFL team wants Tim Tebow. If you've made it to sectionals, the pros have no special powers that you don't.



3. Get a good night's sleep beforehand



A qualifying day is a long one. Though the local qualifying is just 18 holes, the round can easily drag on past five hours. Tack on an extra 18 for the sectionals, and the day feels like you're attached to a polygraph machine for 15 hours, asked constantly if you're sure you are who you say you are.



Getting seven or eight hours of sleep will give you enough pep in your step to make it through the day. Whether you qualify or not, seven or eight beers will help you get through the night after it's all over.



4. Bring an extra pair of socks and shoes



To get the whole field through 36 holes of sectional qualifying at each site, the action begins early. In a lot of places, that means dew on the grass that will almost assuredly find its way through your supposedly waterproof shoes and absorbed by your socks.



By the end of your morning round, your feet will be shriveled, if not your confidence from how you played. Either way, change your socks and shoes for the second round. It'll keep your dogs from barking. Besides, there's no need for a massive blister to be your parting gift in the event you don't make it.



5. Wear sunscreen



Who am I, an utter loser, to tell you to succeed at what I couldn't do? When I thought about that, I immediately thought of the Baz Luhrmann song, inspired by a 1997 piece written by reporter Mary Schmich.



"The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience," Schmich wrote.



On a long, hot June day, it's good advice.



Ryan Ballengee is a Washington, D.C.-based golf writer. His work has appeared on multiple digital outlets, including NBC Sports and Golf Channel. Follow him on Twitter @RyanBallengee.