Dallas— Sean Crocker found form at just the right time and qualified for his first U.S. Open, among 13 players in Dallas and three in Japan who earned spots at The Country Club next month.
The 36-hole qualifiers were the first of 11 that will fill the field for the U.S. Open, to be played June 16-19 outside Boston.
Crocker, born in Zimbabwe and raised in California through his college years at University of Southern California, had gone nine straight tournaments on the European tour without making a cut until a tie for seventh in Belgium last week.
He flew to Texas and delivered rounds of 64 at Royal Oaks and 67 at Lakewood Country Club. The Harare-born golfer, now playing under the United States flag, is the son of former Zimbabwe national team cricketer Gary Crocker.
The family, originally from Bulawayo, moved to California when young Sean was aged five.
Sean Crocker is US Open Bound! Can’t wait!
Congratulations son! pic.twitter.com/jl29gZIWSR— Gary Crocker (@Crocker2Gary) May 24, 2022
Mackenzie Hughes was among four Canadians who qualified in Dallas. Travis Vick, who plays at Texas and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur last summer, was the lone amateur to qualify. Dallas was one of the larger fields because of the PGA Tour event at Colonial this week.
Tomoyasu Sugiyama, Daijiro Izumida and Todd Sinnott of Australia were the three who qualified in Japan.
The other nine qualifiers will be June 6, the Monday before U.S. Open week.