In a field comprised of golfers from all over the country, four Arkansans have qualified for the 125th U.S. Open Finals, including a 15-year-old low medalist!
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (May 7) — The Arkansas State Golf Association finished its 125th U.S. Open local qualifying at Hot Springs Country Club and identified five players who advanced to final qualifying, led by 15-year-old Jack Denery of Little Rock, one of the nation’s youngest local qualifiers.
Play began Tuesday, May 6, with a field of 84 golfers competing for five spots and two alternates. Morning sunshine gave way to gathering storms, and play was suspended with all players on the course. Gray skies and distant thunder sent competitors back to the clubhouse as lightning flashed overhead. The ASGA officially suspended all play for the day and had players return the following morning to conclude competition.
Wednesday dawned damp but playable thanks to Hot Springs Country Club staff who had worked from early in the morning to restore fairways, greens and bunkers. Golfers resumed where they had left off, and high school senior Willie Gordon emerged in the lead at 3-under par. Horns signaled the restart, and competition resumed.
Throughout the day, contenders from across the country battled up and down the leaderboard in a tight pursuit of the top five. Two playoffs were required: one to decide the final qualifier and another to determine the second alternate. Playoff holes were designated as hole 10, hole 8 and hole 9, repeating if necessary.
Connor Gaunt and Matthew Johnson entered their playoff tied at 3-under par. On the third playoff hole, Gaunt prevailed to secure the final qualifying spot, while Johnson earned first alternate honors. In the second playoff, Gordon fended off four challengers at 2-under par to claim second alternate.
Most notably, low medalist honors went to 15-year-old Jack Denery, who shot a tournament-low 66 and birdied holes 16, 17 and 18 to close. Of the five advancing qualifiers, four had previously captured ASGA junior championships. Denery is just one year older than the youngest player to make it through U.S. Open Locals. 14-year-old Raymond ReBell from Maryville, Tennessee qualified at a U.S. Open Locals site in Tennessee but had to compete in a playoff to do so. Denery not only qualified but also led the field at the end of competition.
Congratulations to our qualifiers who moved on to U.S. Open final qualifying: Jack Denery, Paxton Lane, Rex Hargrove, Logan Stephens and Connor Gaunt!
Find the full leaderboard below!
