Northwest players advance to next stage of 2018 U.S. Open qualifying

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Updated: June 6, 2018

Joel Skarbo of Seattle, Wash. shot 2-under 70 to earn medalist honors in leading the field of 75 players who competed in U.S. Open Local qualifying at the par-72 Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash.

Along with Skarbo, four other players will also advance from this Local qualifier to the Sectional qualifier. Those four include Damian Telles of The Dalles, Ore. who played for the University of Idaho golf team and now competes on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada; Andrew Von Lossow, an amateur from Spokane, Wash.; and Derek Barron of Lakewood, Wash., a professional who qualified for last year’s U.S. Open, all three of whom shot 1-under 71.

For the fifth and final spot, Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho defeated Robert Fisher, a PGA professional from Oregon City, Ore. in a playoff, after both had finished at even par after 18 holes.

• Noah Woolsey of Pleasanton, Calif. shot 6-under 66 to earn medalist honors in leading the field of 96 players who competed in U.S. Open Local qualifying at the par-72 Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Wash.

Along with Woolsey, five other players will also advance from this local qualifier to the Sectional qualifier. Those five include Zack Overstreet of Issaquah, Wash., who shot 4-under 68; and Jacob Koppenberg of Bellingham, Wash., Devin Carrey of The Woodlands, Tex., Christopher Evans of Bermuda Dunes, Calif., and Keith Bennett of Seattle, Wash., all of whom shot 3-under 69s.

Woolsey, an amateur and freshman on the University of Washington men’s golf team, had four birdies on the front nine, making the turn at 4-under, and added two more birdies on the back nine. His bogey-free round clinched medalist honors.

• A total of six players advanced to 2018 U.S. Open sectional qualifying after U.S. Open local qualifying was held at Riverside Golf & Country Club in Portland, Ore.

Christopher Babcock (Shoreline, Wash.) earned medalist honors after firing a 4-under par 68 during the qualifier. Babcock is a former University of Washington golfer who now competes on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada. Babcock’s round featured four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 10th hole, with bogeys on just two holes – both par 3’s.

Former University of Oregon star Sulman Raza (Eugene, Ore.) earned second place
after shooting 3-under par 69, while Derek Baade (Vancouver, Wash.) finished in third place at 2-under par (70). Baade is a former collegiate golfer at New Mexico State University.

David Bradshaw, Jesse Heinly and Charlie Kern earned the final three spots from the qualifier held in Portland.