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Rodgers, Parkinson Earn Medalist Honors to Qualify for U.S. Open Sectionals
By Megan Terry
The field list for the 2016 U.S. Open Local Qualifying hosted by Alpine Country Club was comprised of several UGA Championship event medalists. Needless to say, the level of competition was impressive. Multiple Utah State Amateur past champions faced the challenge head-on.
Despite the supreme level of talent, 2015 Utah State Amateur Champion Jordan Rodgers and 2010 Utah State Amateur Champion Joe Parkinson rose to the occasion and each carded a five-under-par 67 to advance to the sectional qualifying stage on the road to Oakmont. Parkinson has now qualified for four USGA events, and after Rodgers’ successful 2015 season leading up to his current professional career, this feat is anything but surprising.
Just one shot behind the medalists, Preston Alder earned the third qualifying spot with his four-under-par 68, and the fourth, fifth, and first alternate spots were decided in a playoff among Mitchell Schow Jr., Clay Ogden, and Rhett Rasmussen.
All three competitors made pars on the first playoff hole, forcing a second playoff hole on the par 5 No. 2. Schow drained his 15-foot birdie putt to secure his sectional qualifying spot in fourth. Ogden saved par for the fifth qualifying spot, and Rasmussen fell short of qualifying after missing his putts for birdie and par. He is the first alternate.
Seokwon Jeon shot a two-under 70 to claim the second alternate spot.
Jordan Rodgers
Joe Parkinson
Preston Alder
Mitchell Schow Jr.
Clay Ogden
Rhett Rasmussen (1st Alternate)
Seokwon Jeon (2nd Alternate)
View complete results HERE.