Survive what's known as "The Longest Day in Golf," and a Vernon pro will tee it up at one of professional golf's four major tournaments.
Bryce Barker took a step toward playing in the 125th US Open at the historic Oakmont Golf Club outside of Pittsburgh June 12-15 by winning the local qualifier event Tuesday, April 22, at the Druids Glen Golf Club in Covington, Wash. The 18-hole tournament was played 20 minutes east of the Seattle suburb of Auburn.
Barker shot a bogey-free five-under-par 67 to win the US Open local qualifier by one shot over Rudy Caparas of Everett, Wash., and Jordan Brajcich of Mill Creek, Wash. Barker was two shots better than amateurs Jacob Kang of Mill Creek and Colten Kleis of Seattle.
The five qualify for the 36-hole sectional qualifier - the Longest Day in Golf ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½“ to be played June 2 at the Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash. The top players from that event qualify for the US Open.
There are 13 such final qualifiers being played in Walla Walla, Japan, England, Ontario, two in Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, California, and Maryland.
Barker was the lone Canadian out of 16 at the local qualifier to advance.
"It felt really good to put a solid round together and not make a bogey all day," said Barker from Harrison Hot Springs, where he is in the field this weekend for the 36-hole Vancouver Golf Tour's Johnston Meier Insurance Sandpiper Open at the Sandpiper Golf Course in Harrison Mills.
"I was quite happy with myself when I walked off (hole) 18. I knew I had got the job (qualifying) done."
Barker was at four-under-par coming into the three finishing holes at Druids Glen. The par-3 16th is a 175-yard hole over water. After securing a par, Barker teed off on the par-4, 410-yard 17th hole, hitting his drive down the open left side.
Sitting about 115 yards from the pin, he hit a sand wedge to within five feet and drained the putt for his fifth birdie of the day.
"Immediately, I was thinking, 'Thank God,' and I knew I was close to qualifying," said Barker, who then stepped up to the par-5, 582-yard 18th tee box.
"I originally thought I'd play it conservatively and hit my three-wood, but I had been the driving the ball well all day," chuckled Barker, who pulled his ball into the trees lining the right side of the fairway. His ball dropped out of the woods, landed on the cart path, but he ended up with a decent lie, albeit still almost 400 yards away from the green.
Barker then hit that three-wood to about 180 yards from the pin, and his third shot ended up short of the green. Get up-and-down, and he'd finish at five-under.
"I was in a good position but I didn't want to screw up and make my only bogey of the day on the last hole," he said. Barker's chip ended up within five feet of the hole, and his putting that had been on all day stayed true on the final hole as he sank the par putt.
He finished with a 67, headed to the scorer's table, then had a lengthy wait to see how his score would fare.
"I knew there was no chance of more than five guys tying at that score," said Barker. "We asked the scorer what the lowest score had been and was told four-under, so I knew I was in first place. When you're the winner, you get a special medal from the USGA (United States Golf Association) and the low score means you go to the next stage.
"I wanted to get that medal. I hung around for the last three-to-four hours until everyone had finished. I had a lot of support from the community as people were texting me throughout the day and after the round."
Barker warmed up for the US Open local qualifier with a pair of practice rounds, and was coming off a ninth-place finish at the Vancouver Golf Tour's GreenTee Open in Langley, where he shot 74-71 for a +1 total of 145.
He is slated to play in the Canadian Open qualifier May 8 at Squamish Valley. Barker will also be entered in June in the PGA Tour Americas' (formerly PGA Tour Canada) Qualifying School in Prince Edward Island.