Cameron Wilson
The day is nearing and fans of the amateur
game are excited to see 12 of the game's top
amateurs take on Pinehurst No. 2 and the
U.S.
Open field.
Here's a look at tee times and pairings for
the
12 amateurs in the field on Thursday:
Cameron Wilson, 6:45 a.m.: One
of
the last amateurs in the field and the first to
go out. Stanford's recent NCAA Champion
surely won't mind the early alarm clock,
though. He'll head out with recent amateur-
turned-pro Daniel Berger and Brett
Stegmaier,
who both qualified via sectionals last week.
Wilson is in after claiming an alternate spot
at
the Purchase, N.Y. sectional.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, 7:51 a.m.:
Talk
about a pairing. Fitzpatrick, the reigning U.S.
Amateur champion, who gained entry with
that
victory, will play alongside defending
champion
Justin Rose and the universal hopeful Phil
Mickelson. It's safe to say that this pairing
will
draw the biggest following on Day 1.
Oliver Goss, 8:24: Goss, the 2013
U.S.
Amateur runner-up, will play alongside fellow
Australians Aaron Baddeley and Aron Price.
Goss was the low amateur at the Masters in
April.
Robby Shelton, 8:46: One of the
top
freshman this past NCAA season, Shelton
qualified via the Memphis sectional qualifier
just days after helping Alabama to a second
straight national title. He'll play alongside
Brady Watt and Matt Dobyns.
Maverick McNealy, Brandon McIver,
8:46:
Stanford's McNealy and McIver, of
Oregon, both snuck in during sectional
qualifying and will play together, starting on
No. 10 Thursday morning.
Brian Campbell, 8:57: Campbell,
who
plays at Illinois but qualified via the Northern
California sectional, will tee off along with
fellow sectional qualifiers Clayton Rask and
Nick Mason. Campbell is one of the nation's
steadiest, yet underrated college golfers and
could be a contender for low amateur
honors.
Will Grimmer, 8:57: Grimmer
made
headlines last year at Pinehurst, shooting a
59
during the North & South junior. He'll play
with
Anthony Broussard and Nicholas Lindheim.
Cory Whitsett, 2:20 p.m.:
Whitsett,
the former Walker Cupper and two-time
NCAA
champ from Alabama, will play with Danny
Willett and Luke Guthrie. A potential star,
Whitsett was the overwhelming winner at
the
Houston sectional qualifier and is a major
contender for low amateur honors at
Pinehurst.
Andrew Dorn, 2:42:A late addition
to
the field by way of an alternate position out
of
the Springfield, Ohio sectional, Dorn is no
stranger to Pinehurst. He won the North &
South Amateur there last summer and is an
underrated contender.
Hunter Stewart, Sam Love, 2:42:
Stewart, of Vanderbilt, and Love, who plays
at
UAB, take the final tee time of the day.
They'll
play alongside recent amateur-turned-pro
Zac
Blair, who also qualified via sectional
qualifying.
See the full U.S. Open
first-round tee times and groupings •
ABOUT THE
U.S. Open Golf Championship
The U.S. Open is the biggest of the 15 national
championships conducted by the USGA.
Open
to amateurs and professionals. Amateurs gain
entry via USGA win or runner-up finishes while having the opportunity
to qualify alongside non-exempt professionals in an 18-hole "Local' qualifying followed
by 36-hole "Final" qualifying which is affectionately known as golf's longest day.
Highly-ranked amateurs will be exempted past the 18-hole Local Qualifying. See the
USGA website for details. And if you are exempt on any level be sure to apply by the deadline anyway.
The USGA intends to make the U.S. Open
the
most rigorous, yet fair, examination of golf
skills, testing all forms of shot-making. The
USGA prepares the course after careful
consideration of 14 different factors.
View Complete Tournament Information