ELMSFORD, N.Y. (June 13, 2011)–It’s U.S. Open week at Congressional Golf Club in Bethesda, Md., and 156 players from around the world are getting familiar with the course and going through their final preparations before Thursday’s opening round. The Open field boasts household names like Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, and Ernie Els, along with many virtual unknowns who advanced through two stages of qualifying. The Met Area is well-represented, with three local favorites ready to play on golf’s biggest stage.

Connecticut native and PGA Tour winner J.J. Henry gained entry to the field this past weekend when South Africa’s Tim Clark withdrew from the championship with a right elbow injury. Henry fired rounds of 68 and 69 at the sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, and emerged from a six-man playoff as the first alternate. This will be his seventh U.S. Open for the 36-year-old, who looks to improve on his best career finish, a tie for 26th in 2007 at Oakmont. Henry has had a steady yet unremarkable year so far on Tour, making the cut in 14 of 17 events but finishing in the top 10 only once.

The biggest Met Area story in this year’s Open is 22-year-old Chris DeForest of Cottekill, N.Y., and Rondout Country Club. DeForest is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois and won the 2006 Carter Cup at Baltustrol. He advanced through the gauntlet of local and sectional qualifying and will be making his first Open appearance, and it will also be his inaugural tournament as a professional. DeForest is paired with amateur Chris Williams and Canadian pro Wes Heffernan, and will be playing his first round on Thursday at 2:52 p.m. and second round on Friday at 9:12 a.m.

Like DeForest, 33-year-old Marc Turnesa is making his first U.S. Open appearance, though he comes to the championship with three-plus years of PGA Tour experience. Turnesa’s Met Area roots fostered his successfully junior and amateur career, as he won the 1994 Met Junior and was runner-up in the 2000 Ike Championship. Following several years on the Nationwide Tour, Turnesa won the 2008 Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in his rookie season on the PGA Tour. Turnesa’s first- and second-round U.S. Open playing partners are Chad Campbell and Harrison Frazar. The group tees off at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday and 12:40 p.m. on Friday.

Although no Met Area golfers advanced from the Sectional Qualifier at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. on June 6, three of the players who did are paired together. Medalist Geoffrey Sisk, 19-year-old amateur Cheng-tsung Pan, and England’s Matt Richardson are playing partners for their first two rounds.

For complete coverage of 111th U.S. Open Championship from Congressional Country Club, visit www.usopen.com.