PGA Tour player Tony Finau will be joined by another Utah high school graduate in the 2018 U.S. Open field.
BYU golfer Rhett Rasmussen, from Corner Canyon High School in Draper, advanced through 36-hole sectional qualifying Monday in northern California after making it through the local stage at Alpine Country Club in early May.
Rasmussen shot a 5-under-par 66 on the Ocean Course of The Olympic Club in San Francisco in the morning and added a 1-under 71 in the afternoon at Lake Merced Golf Club in nearby Daly City. He finished in a three-way tie for third place. Five of the 86 players in the field advanced from that site.
The U.S. Open is scheduled June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills in New York. Finau is exempt, via his top-30 finish in the PGA Tour’s 2016-17 FedEx Cup standings. The West High School product tied for 10th in the Masters in April and is invited to all four majors in 2018.
Rasmussen recently completed his sophomore year at BYU by helping the Cougars reach the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2006. Todd Miller, BYU’s director of golf, was there Monday for Rasmussen’s breakthrough, although Miller (86-77) played the two courses in the opposite order.
Rasmussen was the only player to qualify Monday among 10 golfers with Utah ties, competing at various sites. The list included Finau’s brother Gipper, who shot 81-80 at Portland (Ore.) Golf Club.
Brandon Kida, a former University of Utah golfer, came the closest to advancing among other Utahns. Kida shot 75-70 in Portland, missing the cut by eight strokes.
Other contestants included Connor Howe (75-79) and Andy Miller (75-74) in California, Mike Weir (79-70) and Randall McCracken (78-81) in Portland and Daniel Summerhays (75-76) in Columbus, Ohio. Zac Blair withdrew after an opening 73 in Springfield, Ohio.
