Brett Wayment started the day with a bogey (three-putting from 5 feet) and ended it with a bogey.
In between, though, there were seven birdies, just enough to give him low honors with a 70 at the U.S. Open local qualifying tournament Wednesday at Oakridge Country Club.As such, Wayment, a State Amateur champion and Utah State alumnus, advanced with two others to sectional qualifying early next month, where the top finishers advance to the U.S. Open.
The battle for the remaining two slots was intense as seven golfers finished at 71, forcing a playoff.
It took three holes to winnow the field to the final two qualifiers - Johnny Miller Jr. and Jimmy Blair.
Wayment has been tinkering with his swing, indicating that was partially responsible for a roller coaster front nine where he recorded three birdies, three pars and three bogeys.
Back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 gave him the margin of victory. On 17 he put his approach 3 feet from the hole. "I was happy with my putting, other than the par 5 on the front."
Boyd Summerhays, Kim Thompson, Mike Malaska, Paul Phillips and Dave DeSantis joined Miller and Blair at 71.
Summerhays, Thompson, Miller and Blair birdied the first playoff hole, No. 1, a par 5, to eliminate the other three.
On the second playoff hole, a 202-yard par 3 (No. 2) nobody reached the green with his tee shot. Summerhays just missed an outstanding shot by a couple of feet as his high tee shot was slightly right, catching a mound on the right side of the green and kicking right into a bunker instead of left toward the flag. He was unable to get up and down, missing an 8-foot putt for par.
Blair and Thompson chipped close to the hole and made their putts to stay in contention. Miller, on the back left fringe, left his lag putt 7 feet short but made his second putt to join Blair and Thompson on the third playoff hole.
A drive into the right rough on the 389-yard par 4 on No. 3 put Thompson under a tree. He punched a shot left, about 15 yards off the green. His chip shot ran 8 feet past and he missed the putt coming back for a bogey.
Miller and Blair both put their second shots about 30 feet left of the flag. Blair putted to within 2 feet and Miller almost holed his, going just 3 inches past the hole. They made their putts to join Wayment in the next qualifying tourney.
Miller, director of golf at the new Ambush Golf Course at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, said he was pleasantly surprised by his showing as he's only played about three rounds this year. But, he said, he "really wanted to make this thing. I want to go on to the next stage."
On his key putt on the last playoff hole he said he remembered the advice his father, Johnny Miller, gave him about long, critical putts. "He said repeat your practice stroke." Miller did and is now with Blair and Wayment at the next stage.