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Golf enthusiasts are gearing up for ‘Golf’s Longest Day’ on June 2, when the ten remaining 36-hole sectional qualifiers for the 2014 U.S. Open Championship will be held. The majority of the players in these fields have earned their place by advancing through one of the 111 local qualifiers held across the country. A lucky few were able to bypass the local qualifying stage since they met one of the 25 exemption criteria established by the USGA.

Sectional qualifiers will be hosted at the following sites:

Lake Merced GC/Olympic Club - Daly City, CA - Pairings (Results)
Quail Valley GC - Vero Beach, FL - Pairings (Results)
Ansley GC - Roswell, GA - Pairings (Results)
Woodmont CC - Rockville, MD - Pairings (Results)
Old Oaks CC/Century CC - Purchase, NY - Pairings (Results)
Brookside G&CC/Scioto CC - Columbus, OH - Pairings (Results)
Springfield CC - Springfield, OH - Pairings (Results)
Emerald Valley GC - Creswell, OR - Pairings (Results)
Colonial CC - Memphis, TN - Pairings (Results)
Lakeside CC - Houston, TX - Pairings (Results)

Follow the sectional qualifying action online at www.usopen.com.

It may seem unusual that two of the ten sectional qualifying sites in the U.S. are located in Ohio, but there is a good reason for this setup. With two professional tournaments being played in Ohio, the Memorial Tournament and Cleveland Open, two qualifiers are necessary to accommodate these road warriors.

New York has a wealth of players competing in sectional qualifiers this year. Included in this list is Gavin Hall, the University of Texas standout, who qualified for the 2013 U.S. Open when he closed his final sectional qualifying round with four consecutive birdies. This year Hall qualified with a 71 at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY. Also in the sectional qualifying field this year is Dominic Bozzelli, a two-time N.Y.S. Amateur Champion and a three-time winner on the 2014 NGA Tour. Bozzelli advanced with a 64 at Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw, GA.

Listed below are players advancing to sectional qualifiers with ties to New York State:

Kevin Ausserlechner (West Harrison, NY) - Golf professional at the Country Club of Darien in CT.
Jackie Barnes (Stormville, NY) - Golf professional at Trump National Golf Club - Hudson Valley.
Bryan Bigley (Schenectady, NY) - Bigley currently has status on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He posted an 8-under 64 to medal in the Loudonville, NY Local Qualifier at the Schuyler Meadows Club.
Dominic Bozzelli (Pittsford, NY) - Bozzelli has won multiple NYSGA championship, including the N.Y.S. Men’s Amateur Championship (2011, 2012), the N.Y.S. Junior Amateur Championship (2007), and the N.Y.S. Boys’ Amateur Championship (2005). He played collegiately at Auburn University, where he won the SunTrust Gator Invitational in 2012 and the Amer Ari Invitational in 2013, and finished second in the NCAA Division I Championship (stroke play). Bozzelli turned professional in 2013, and has since won three times professionally on the NGA Tour, and also finished T9 in the Web.com Tour BMW Charity Pro-Am.
Max Buckley (Rye, NY) - As an amateur in 2013, Buckley won the Arcola Cup, Mittelmark Invitational, Anderson Memorial and the NYC Amateur Championship. Played a key role in aiding the New York team to victory at the 2012 USGA Men’s State Team Championship.
Chris DeForest (Purcellville, VA) - Deforest is originally from Kingston, NY, and played in the 2012 US Open at Congressional.  Played collegiate golf at Illinois, graduating in 2011.
Matthew Dobyns (Lake Success, NY) - Dobyns, the head golf professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club, won the 45th PGA Professional National Championship by a record 8 strokes in 2012. He also won the Long Island Open in 2013
Colin Dolph (Huntington, NY) - Won the 2011 Michael Hebron Amateur Championship, conducted by the Long Island Golf Association. Dolph competed collegiately at Rollins College and turned professional in 2012.
Gavin Hall (Pittsford, NY) - As an amateur, Hall competed in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, where he shot 74-77, and the 2013 U.S. Amateur Championship at Brookline, where he lost in the Round of 16 to eventual champion Matthew Fitzpatrick. Hall has also won multiple NYSGA championships, include the N.Y.S. Junior Amateur Championship (2012) and the N.Y.S. Boys’ Amateur Championship (2008, 2009). Currently, Hall is a freshman on the University of Texas golf team.
Jim Gifford (Clifton Park, NY) - Gifford is an amateur golfer who plays out of Mohawk Golf Club in Schenectady. He played on the golf team at St. Bonaventure for two seasons and then at Siena College.
Daniel McCarthy (Syracuse, NY) - Played in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Currently has status on the PGA Tour Canada.
Tim Puetz (Huntington, NY) - Golf professional at Huntington Country Club, Puetz recently captured the 2014 Long Island PGA Championship. Played in his first PGA Tour event in March of 2013 (Puerto Rican Open).
Jim Roy (Syracuse, NY) - Played on the PGA Tour in 1983 and the Champions Tour in 2010. After playing on the PGA Tour, Roy regained his amateur status and went on to win 15 amateur titles, including the N.Y.S. Amateur Championship (1981) and the N.Y.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship (1999, 2001, 2002, 2004).
Chris Scialo (New City, NY) - Competed on the Towson University golf team where he graduated in 2010. Turned pro in 2010 and most recently competed in the 2014 Web.com Tour’s South Georgia Classic, where he shot 79-72 to miss the cut.
Steve Scott (New City, NY) - Head golf professional at Paramount Country Club. Turned professional in 1999 and played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and Canadian Tour. Scott has competed in two major championships as a professional: the 1996 U.S. Open and 1997 Masters.
Craig Thomas (White Plains, NY) - Won the 2004 Long Island PGA Championship the 2006 Metropolitan Open, and compete in the 2003 PGA Championship. Thomas is the head golf professional at Metropolis Country Club.
Abbie Valentine (Bayville, NY) - Played on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica in 2013, where his best finish was 15th place at Argentina Open. He is currently playing on the eGolf Professional Tour.
Brian Williams (New York, NY) - New York amateur golfer who posted a 1-under 69 to advance to sectional qualifying at the Country Club of Fairfield in CT.

Andrew Hickey & Matt Placito, New York State Golf Association