A total of 9,000 players are attempting to qualify for the US Open in June. They include former Tour champions, rising young amateur stars – and Clifton McDonald from Mississippi. Many of the former are still hopeful of gaining a place in the second major of the year. McDonald’s expectations – if he truly actually had any – were humiliatingly deflated in a local qualifying event at Silver Lakes in Alabama.
Five places were available for contestants to advance to the sectionals, and former University of Alabama standout Robby Shelton took medallist honours at three-under. That was 58 shots better than McDonald’s 127.
A handicap index of 2.4 is required of amateurs to compete in U.S. Open qualifying, but not for professionals – and McDonald was not listed as an amateur.
Beginning on the 10th hole, he recorded a 14 on the par-5 16th and an 11 on the par-4 18th to turn in 32-over 68. His second nine was better with no double-digit numbers and a 23-over 59.
Golf Channel reported that, in relation to whether McDonald could suffer repercussions, these were USGA guidelines for US Open qualifying:
“If a player fails to return a score within 12 strokes of the USGA Course Rating, future entries for a U.S. Open Championship may be declined if documentation is not provided demonstrating that the player is capable of competing at the national championship level. Please note that players who ‘no card’ are subject to receive a letter from the USGA under the same guidelines.”
Lee McCoy, a former University of Georgia standout who qualified for the 2015 U.S. Open and shot a two-under 70 to advance from Silver Lakes, watched McDonald’s round and later tweeted: “The scorecard of the guy that played in front of me at U.S. Open qualifying today. Shot 68 on his front 9 and decided to finish #NeverGiveUp
