Former BYU golfer Zac Blair should seriously consider moving to Springfield, Ohio when his playing career is over.
For the fourth time in his career, the 35-year-old from Plain City qualified at Springfield Country Club to play in the U.S. Open. As part of what is fondly called “Golf’s Longest Day,” Blair shared medalist honors with Neal Shipley on Monday after each touring pro shot 8-under 132.
Blair shot 64-68 to qualify for his fifth U.S. Open, which will be contested next week. Blair has tried to qualify at Springfield nine times, and made it four times. It was the third time he’s been medalist or co-medalist.
An All-American at BYU in 2012-13 after winning four tournaments, Blair lists his hometown as Orem, Utah.
Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel and Nick Hardy shot 7-under 133 to grab the other three spots from that qualifying site.
The 126th U.S. Open will run from June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, and features a 156-player field.
Last year, Blair survived a four-man playoff for one spot in Springfield and advanced to the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh. At Oakmont, he drew national headlines by successfully attempting a 125-yard putt down a fairway during a practice round, but failed to make the cut after shooting 74-77. He was 11-over, and the cut came at 7-over at Oakmont.
In 2024, Blair qualified in Springfield and played relatively well at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, finishing in a tie for 26th. In his two other U.S. Open appearances, he was T40 at Pinehurst in 2014 and missed the cut in 2019 at Pebble Beach.
Lehi resident Tony Finau also tried to qualify in Springfield after tying for 29th at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio on Sunday. Finau, who has played in 11 straight U.S. Opens, will not be competing in New York next week, however.
The father of six was in excellent shape after shooting a 5-under 65 in his first round Monday, but carded an even-par 70 in his second round and missed the cut by two shots. Finau, who also missed the Masters and PGA Championship, tied for 38th last year in the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
But it was former BYU golfer Patrick Fishburn who suffered the biggest heartbreak Monday of the 10 known players with Utah ties attempting to qualify.
Fishburn shot 6-under 134 at Lambton Golf and Country Club in Ontario, Canada (this week’s PGA Tour event is the Canadian Open) to make an 8-man playoff for three spots.
However, Fishburn and fellow PGA Tour regular Max Homa made bogeys on the first playoff hole and did not advance. Fishburn hit an excellent drive, but his pitch shot went way beyond the hole, and he 3-putted from there.
Former Utah Open champion Dusty Fielding of Richfield, who now lives in Lehi, shot a 1-under 143 at Lakes Golf and Country Club in Westerville, Ohio, but missed the cut by eight shots.
Recent University of Utah graduate Brandon Robison, a Viewmont High product, shot 2-under 142 at Emerald Valley Golf Club near Eugene, Oregon and missed qualifying by a single shot, as the cut for two spots came at 3-under 141.
Former Olympus High standout golfer John Fox also played at Emerald Valley, but missed qualifying by 10 shots with a two-round total of 151.
At Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, four current or former BYU golfers attempted to qualify.
Rising sophomore Kihei Akina came the closest of the bunch, shooting a 3-under 139 to miss the cut by just one shot.
Former Cougar Carson Lundell shot 1-over 143 (70-73), while Keanu Akina, Kihei’s brother, shot 5-over 147 and BYU freshman Jackson Mauss shot 4-over 146, closing with a 70.