Posted On: Monday, May 15, 2017
Branson Ferrier of Shanty Bay Golf Club has earned a spot in sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open Championship.
The 23-year-old Barrie pro shot 74 then prevailed in a playoff to grab the fifth and final spot at a local qualifier at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora - the first one held in Canada since 1999.
Ferrier came back from a rough bogey-bogey-double bogey finish to defeat Russell Budd of Bayview G & CC, J.C. Deacon of Gainesville, Florida, and Kevin Fawcett of Toronto Golf Club in the playoff.
He is among five golfers from the local qualifier who will advance to sectional qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 10 U.S. sites on June 5.
The others are Chase Komorami (a) of London (71), Stephane Dubois of Brantford (71), Peter Laws of Whitby (72), and Beon Yeong Lee of Montreal (72).
Ferrier, who turned pro last year, played in the 2016 Canadian Open, shooting rounds of 78 & 74 to miss the cut. He punched his ticket to the Open by shooting 68 (-4) at a qualifier at King's Forest Golf Course in Hamilton.
Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and sectional play.
Last year, 27 players advanced through local and sectional qualifying to the 156-player U.S. Open Championship field at Oakmont.
Of those 27, five players made the 36-hole cut, including Brandon Harkins, who started his journey at The Club at Ruby Hill, in Pleasanton, Calif., which will hold a local qualifier for the ninth consecutive year.
The 117th U.S. Open will be contested June 15-18 at Erin Hills Golf Club in Wisconsin.