Doug Ghim got some good news this week. The U.S. Golf Association made the PGA Tour player from Arlington Heights one of the 156 official starters in the 125th U.S. Open, which tees off on Thursday at Pennsylvania’s Oakmont course.
Rugged Oakmont is a frequent U.S. Open site, and that was undoubtedly a big factor in the USGA accepting a record 10,202 entries at the April 9 deadline. Hopefuls were whittled to 156 after 110 local qualifiers and 13 final qualifiers. The latter included 36-hole competitions in Canada, England and Japan in addition to the 10 held across the U.S.
Ghim, as a PGA Tour member, didn’t have to play in a local elimination and chose to enter the final qualifier in Dallas. He wound up in a seven-players-for-one-spot playoff for the final Oakmont berth available there.
This week, with players starting to arrive at Oakmont, the USGA announced the last seven who would be elevated to the field following late withdrawals and the completion of other qualification procedures. Ghim was one of the lucky ones.
Ghim, 29, attended Buffalo Grove High School but — preferring to focus on national amateur events — played only one season of high school golf. After starring at the University of Texas, where he won the Big Hogan Award as the best male college golfer in 2018, Ghim was runner-up in the 2017 U.S. Amateur, then turned pro and earned his PGA Tour card in 2020.
While he’s earned $7.6 million Ghim has yet to win on golf’s premier circuit. This year he’s made the cut in 10 of his 15 starts and finished in the top 25 in three events.
A long-time Las Vegas resident since turning pro Ghim will make his second appearance in the U.S. Open proper at Oakmont. He missed the cut in his only other start in 2018.
A SMALL WORLD: With Mike Small dominant for decades as both a player and coach Illinois golf has frequently seemed like a “Small world.’’ This time it’s a little different.
Mark Small, who plays out of Prestwick in Frankfort, won the 23rd Illinois State Senior Amateur last week. It was his first win in a Chicago District Golf Association-administered event in 29 years. Small won the Illinois State Amateur in 1996 but he’s contended many times between his big wins.
Mark Small, now 61, was in the top 10 of the last four Illinois State Senior Amateurs. He was runner-up last year and gave Mike Small a scare in the Illinois Senior Open two years ago.
“There is going to come a time where I can’t do this anymore,’’ said Mark Small. “But while I can, it sure is fun.’’
Mike Small isn’t exactly out of this picture, though. The University of Illinois men’s coach has two of his former players competing in this week’s U.S. Open. Thomas Detry and Brian Campbell qualified by winning PGA Tour events this year and current Illini player Jackson Buchanan also got in by sharing top honors in the qualifying event in Atlanta.
Buchanan qualified for last year’s Open at Pinehurst, N.C., but missed the cut. He’ll make his professional debut at Oakmont.
FAST STARTER: Elizabeth Szokol, Chicago’s only player on the Ladies PGA Tour, shared the first round lead at last week’s ShopRite Classic after posting a 63. She tailed off with rounds of 69 and 74 and wound up in a tie for 20th place.
Szokol grew up in Winnetka, played on New Trier’s 2010 state championship team and was the Illinois Women’s State Amateur champion in 2012. That tourney will start its three-day run on Monday at The Grove, in Long Grove and it’ll have a new look since Szokol won it.
The CDGA is now conducting the tournament and has incorporated a Mid-Amateur component to the 54-hole event. Players who have reached their 25th birthday can play for the title in the 36-hole Mid- Am division. If any finish among the top 20 and ties after 36 holes they’ll also be eligible to play the third round with the chance to win the IWSA title.