Short Shots

Woodland qualifies for U.S. Open
Two-time Kansas Amateur champion Gary Woodland qualified for this week’s U.S. Open from the sectional qualifying event at Hobe Sound, Fla., earlier this month. Woodland, a Topekan currently on the PGA Tour, had rounds of 67 and 71 on the McArthur Golf Course to tie St. Augustine, Fla. amateur Kevin Phelan (73-65) for the top spot at 138. Tampa, Fla.’s Travis Gary Woodland

Hampshire grabbed the other qualifying spot with rounds of 72-67—139.
   Woodland, who won the Kansas Amateur Championship in 2005 at Colbert Hills and in 2007 at Topeka Country Club, shot a second-round 66 and spent time on the leader board at last year’s U.S. Open at Bethpage Black in New York before settling for 47th place. The former University of Kansas golfer’s first season on the Tour was later cut short due to season-ending shoulder surgery.

   At U.S. Open sectional qualifying at the Club at St. Albens in St. Louis, several players with KGA ties fell short in their attempts, including 2006 Kansas Amateur champion Drew Lethem, 2008 Kansas Amateur champion Cameron Bishop and former KGA Player of the Year Tyler Shelton of Fairway. Overland Park’s Lethem did grab one of the alternate spots with rounds of 68-67 and finished second to qualifier Scott Langley, an amateur from St. Louis, who won the event with 66-66—132. Tulsa, Okla.’s Bishop had rounds of 73-72--145 total and Shelton had rounds of 79-73--152.
   At U.S. Open sectional qualifying at Germantown Country Club and Ridgeway near Memphis, Wichita’s Jonathan May had rounds of 73-73—146 and did not qualify. Among those grabbing one of the 12 qualifying spots from the Memphis event were Tour players Brandt Snedeker, Paul Goydos, David Frost and former PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel.
   At U.S. Open sectional qualifying at The Lakes and Brookside courses in Columbus, Ohio, Derby PGA Tour player Woody Austin failed to qualify after rounds of 71-75 for a 146 total. Among qualifiers from the event were PGA Tour standouts Stuart Appleby, Aaron Baddeley, Tom Lehman, Davis Love III and former British Open champion Ben Curtis.
   The 2010 U.S. Open Championship is to be contested June 17-20 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Thompson claims Tarheel Tour title
   Former Kansas Amateur champion Chris Thompson won a Tarheel Tour event in Conover, N.C., earlier this month. Thompson, who lives in Lawrence and was an All-American at the University of Kansas, shot a 62 in the second round and combined that with three 68s to win the HGM Hotels Classic at Rock Barn by two strokes.
   The victory on the Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Tom Jackson courses netted a first-place Chris Thompson

check of more than $33,000 for the champion, the largest of his professional career. Thompson finished at 21 under par for the four days. His 266 total was a pair of shots better than second place Ryan Gildersleeve (70-64-69-65) and Tommy Biershenk (68-63-68-69).
   "It was a dog fight, it was tough. We were all within a few shots of each other all day, and I was fortunate enough to hit a few good shots down the stretch," said Thompson, who played the Nationwide Tour full time in 2007 and 2008.
   Thompson, who won the Kansas Amateur in 1998 at Wichita Country Club, had help from a former KU teammate during his final round. Former Jayhawk golfer Ryan Vermeer caddied for Thompson after missing the Rock Barn cut with rounds of 68-72.
   "We travel together a lot," said Thompson. "It seems as if I always follow him around wherever he goes. He usually sniffs out the best places to play, so I just go along with it. He's a great green reader and knows my game so well; he really helped me out a lot."