Sisk Takes Medalist as Four Advance to Congressional
SUMMIT, N.J. (June 6, 2011) – Nationwide Tour player Geoffrey Sisk of Marshfield, Mass., earned medalist honors today at a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier conducted over the North and South courses at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. Sisk, Matt Richardson of London, Alexandre Rocha of Windermere, Fla., and 19-year-old amateur Cheng-tsung Pan of Bradenton, Fla., now advance to Congressional Country Club for the 111th U.S. Open Championship out of the field of 83 professionals and amateurs on an ideal day for golf in the Met Area.
Sisk, a 46-year-old Nationwide Tour veteran, has now qualified for six U.S. Opens, all out of MGA-run qualifiers. Sisk was also the medalist at the 2007 sectional held at Century Country Club in Purchase N.Y., and his other qualifying years were 2004 (Canoe Brook) and 2003 (Century and Old Oaks), 1999, and 1995.
“I played pretty solidly coming in, and overall I’ve been playing really well this year,” said Sisk. “This is one of my favorite golf courses to play in the country, and the great thing is that you don’t have to go really low out here. I’m just trying to hit good golf shots.” Sisk’s top U.S. Open finishes include a tie for 30th at Pinehurst in 1999 and a tie for 40th at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. A Massachusetts native, the Sisk shares the record of six Massachusetts Open victories.
Richardson qualified for the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and has played in six Nationwide Tour events this season. Rocha, a native of Brazil, went to college at Mississippi State and works with Alpine Country Club teaching professional Jason Birnbaum. Rocha advanced to the sectional from the Brae Burn local qualifier, also conducted by the MGA.
Pan, a 19-year-old originally from Taiwan, recently graduated high school from the IMG Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and will be a freshman at the University of Washington in the fall. Pan held the first-round lead with Nationwide Tour player Mathias Gronberg of West Palm Beach, Fla. after both shot opening-round 66’s on the South Course. Pan continued to play well while Gronberg struggled to a second-round 77, finishing tied for 13th.
“I was definitely a little nervous those last few holes,” said Pan with a smile. “But everything was working for me today. My long game was good, and I hit every par five in two in the first round [on the South Course]. I just tried to treat it as a normal round.”
Zack Byrd of Murrells Inlet, S.C., and amateur Nathaniel McCoy of West Des Moines, Iowa, tied at 139 and competed in a playoff for the first and second alternate positions. The first spot went to Byrd, who chipped in for birdie on the first playoff hole, which was played on the first hole of the North Course.
Notable players with local ties who failed to advance from Canoe Brook include PGA Tour and Met Open champion Jim McGovern (146) of Oradell, N.J., PGA Tour player and 2010 U.S. Open qualifier from Canoe Brook Jim Herman (147) of Port St. Lucie, Fla., 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Jim Liu (147) of Smithtown, N.Y., Nationwide Tour player and former Met Open and Met Amateur winner Andrew Svoboda (142) of Orlando, Fla. David Schuster (142) of New York, N.Y., finished T9, and highlighted his round with a hole-in-one on the fifth hole of the North Course.
With the sun shining and a light breeze, playing conditions were optimal for the field. The North course played nearly three strokes more difficult than the South course (75.4 and 72.7, respectively), as 9 eagles and 252 birdies were carded by the field on the South.
Today’s qualifier was conducted by the Metropolitan Golf Association and held over the North and South Courses at Canoe Brook. The four players to advance will join the world’s elite at the 111th U.S. Open Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., June 16-19.
