Drama, Dreams, and Heartbreak at the 2025 U.S. Open Final Qualifying
If you're a golf fan, you know exactly what this day means — it's golf’s longest day , the ultimate test of stamina, skill, and nerves: the U.S. Open Final Qualifying. On Monday, June 2nd, ten locations across North America turned into battlegrounds where over 800 hopefuls battled for one of the most coveted tickets in golf — a spot in the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
This grueling one-day, 36-hole qualifier is where legends are made and dreams are broken. And let me tell you, this year had all the ingredients of high drama.
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We had stars like Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, Zach Johnson, and Webb Simpson teeing it up, trying to claw their way into Oakmont. And while some punched their tickets, many fell heartbreakingly short. At the Columbus, Ohio qualifier — often the most stacked field — Erik Van Rooyen lit it up with a blistering -13. But the real fireworks came from Cameron Young, who birdied the first playoff hole in a 5-for-1 shootout to claim the last golden spot. Homa, Fowler, and Eric Cole? They’re headed home.
At Summit, New Jersey’s Canoe Brook, young amateur Benjamin James joined the pros in qualifying, showing once again that the U.S. Open isn’t just for veterans. Meanwhile, at the Duke University site in North Carolina, names like Alvaro Ortiz and Chandler Blanchet emerged victorious, while Webb Simpson — a former U.S. Open champion — had to settle as an alternate.
Over in Canada, at Lambton Golf Club, the field was fierce, but Emiliano Grillo, Matt Wallace, and Thorbjorn Olesen were among the seven who made it through. The Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta gave us one of the day’s biggest shocks: amateur Mason Howell fired a stunning -18 to top the leaderboard, followed closely by more amateur stars like Jackson Buchanan and Tyler Weaver.
And yes — even a dentist got in on the action. Matt Vogt stunned viewers with a clutch shot in Walla Walla, Washington, nearly stealing one of just two available spots. That’s the beauty of this day — it’s anyone’s game.
Golf Channel broadcasted the drama across ten hours of coverage, but no amount of airtime can quite capture the raw emotion that pours out when someone learns they’re heading to the U.S. Open. Some cried. Some celebrated with their parents on the green. Some just stared in disbelief.
For those who made it through — welcome to Oakmont. For those who didn’t — there's always next year. But every single one of them played their heart out in pursuit of a dream. And on golf’s longest day , that’s exactly what makes this sport so unforgettable.
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