Area golfers fall short of qualifying for U.S. Open

Golfers with ties to the Inland Northwest put up some good numbers Monday but none was able to make it through U.S. Open sectional qualifying.

Clarkston High product Joel Dahmen shot 70-68 (2-under 138) at Northwood Club in Dallas, finishing tied for 18th. Gonzaga rising senior Sean Walsh finished at 2-over 142. Mark Silvers, of Thunderbolt, Georgia, shot 131 to win the sectional and lead six qualifiers for the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay near Tacoma from June 18-21.

Alex Prugh, the former Ferris High and University of Washington standout who lives in Las Vegas, shot 73 at Germantown Country Club and 67 at Ridgeway Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee. He finished four shots out of a tie for eighth and the final three qualifying spots.

Washington State rising sophomore Derek Bayley, a Lakeland High graduate, rebounded from an opening 79 with a 1-over 71 to finish 24th in a field of 50 at Tumble Creek in Cle Elum, Washington. Former Cougar Kent Hagen shot 74-78 to finish in a tie for 28th. Former Sandpoint High standout Joey Lovell shot 76-82 to place 44th.

Three UW alums, led by Cheng-Tsung Pan’s 2-under 138, claimed the three qualifying spots available at Tumble Creek.