Junior Gamecock Matt NeSmith qualified for the US Open, one of four major golf tournaments. The North Augusta native scorched his competition at Atlanta’s Hawks Ridge US Open qualifier golf tournament on Monday and will have his hand as an amateur in one of golf’s most prestigious events. After playing 36 rounds, NeSmith ended the tournament with a score of -17, three strokes ahead of the rest of the pack.
At South Carolina, NeSmith was a constant threat on the course. He posted nine top-five finishes and placed top-10 on 17 occasions with his best play coming late in the season. After winning the SEC Championships in late April (his best placement in his Gamecock career), NeSmith tied for 7th in NCAA regional play, but he fell lower than expected in the NCAA championships, tieing for 45th. NeSmith tied junior Will Starke for the lowest scoring average on the team with a 71.79. The Gamecocks ended up No. 7 in the nation according to Golfstat Relative Ranking.
Chambers Bay in Washington will host the US Open and its 156 golfers from June 18 to 21.