The field is complete for next week's U.S. Open golf championship and no one is more excited than unheralded Dana Quilgley of Rehoboth, Mass.
"For a club pro to make two majors in one summer, that's as good as it gets," said Quilgley, who also has played in the PGA Championship. "I'm thrilled to death."The 48-year-old Quilgley had a 36-hole total of 132 Tuesday at Old Oaks Country Club at Purchase, N.Y., to qualify for his third Open in 30 attempts. His best Open finish was a tie for 41st in 1979 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.
He will join a diverse 156-player field that includes all-time great Jack Nicklaus and young sensation Tiger Woods.
Former PGA champion John Mahaffey, Blaine McCallister and Fred Funk were also among the final sectional qualifiers who filled out the field for the national championship event, which opens June 15 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. The Open is being held there for the third time - it was staged at Shinnecock in 1896 and again in 1986, when Raymond Floyd shot 66 on the final day to win by two strokes over Chip Beck and Lanny Wadkins.
Unheralded professional Bill Porter shot 130 to lead 28 qualifiers at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., the largest of Tuesday's three qualifying sites.
In addition, eight golfers advanced from Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club in Purchase.
Defending champion Ernie Els, 1995 Masters winner Ben Crenshaw and four- time Open winner Nicklaus, who will be playing in his 39th consecutive Open, are among the 72 exempt players, as is reigning U.S. Amateur champion Woods, and last week's Memorial winner, Greg Norman.