Stroud qualifies for U.S. Open

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Stroud qualifies for U.S. Open

By Bob West

The Port Arthur News

MEMPHIS — No thanks to a certain unnamed airline that removed him from a Sunday night flight from Chicago to Memphis, Chris Stroud is on his way to next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.

Stroud, operating on minimal sleep after having to make an unplanned drive from Chicago to Memphis, shot rounds of 70-64 Monday over two separate courses at Colonial Country Club to grab one of 15 available spots in the June 14-17 Open.

“I just keep telling myself I wasn’t tired,†said Stroud, who was coming off a tie for ninth place Sunday in the Nationwide Tour’s LaSalle Bank Open. “The key was making putts. I have worked so hard on my putting the past month and it’s really paying off.â€

Stroud, who is playing in the PGA Tour’s Stanford St. Jude Open at the TPC Southwind later this week in Memphis, used an eagle 3 on the 18th hole of the morning round as his springboard into the Open. He was even par at the time, on the harder of the two courses, and ripped a 3-wood from 254 yards to 3 feet.

“I almost made a two,†he said. “It was a huge lift going into the afternoon round on a course that was a lot easier.â€

Stroud shot 5-under-par 30 on the outgoing nine of his afternoon round, then cruised in with a 2-under-34 to nail down his first trip to the U.S. Open.

“It’s amazing,†he said. “I never was able to qualify my way into the U.S. Amateur and now I have a spot in the U.S. Open. This is really exciting. I’ll see Oakmont for the first time next week. But the next thing I need to focus on is this week’s tournament.

“The way I’m putting I think I have a chance to do really well.â€

Stroud, who has switched back to a conventional putting grip from left-hand-low, said he took 28 putts on the way to the 70 and 25 enroute to the 64.

“It’s amazing how easy the game seems when you are making putts,†he said. “No wonder Tiger Woods wins so many tournaments.â€

Stroud not only needed good putting, but a degree of mental toughness after what he went through Sunday evening in Chicago.

After finishing late in the LaSalle Bank Open, he and wife Tiffany scrambled to make a flight to Memphis. They made it to the airport, were able to get ticketed and get their bags checked with minutes to spare. About the time they were seated, however, bad news was delivered.

“The pilot came on and said because of bad weather in Memphis they were going to have to take 10 people off for fuel purposes,†he said. “Since Tiffany and I were among the last on, we were among the first off. We had to rent a car and drive to Memphis.