ERIN, Wisconsin — Texas A&M’s Cameron Champ made an impression on Thursday by firing a two-under 70 to hold a tie for 12th place following the opening round of the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
The Sacramento, Calif., native carded five birdies and 10 pars on the day to stand out as the second-highest ranking amateur on the leaderboard behind Scottie Scheffler of Texas, who is tied for 11th at three-under.
Also representing Texas A&M in the U.S. Open field is incoming freshman Walker Lee, who opened with an 81. The 19-year old stands out as one of the youngest golfers in the field.
The duo represent two of just 14 amateurs who earned spots in the 156-golfer field and are the first Aggies to participate in the U.S. Open since Bronson Burgoon took his swings in the 2009 Open at Bethpage in New York.
Champ earned his ticket to the event by participating in the US Open Sectional Qualifying in his home state of California. Champ led the loaded field with an opening round 63 and after finishing the final round in a share for the final qualifying spot, Champ sunk a birdie putt on a playoff hole against Brandon Wu to punch his ticket to the U.S. Open.
Walker Lee, meanwhile, competed in qualifying from Lakewood Country Club in Dallas where three Open spots were up for grabs. Facing a field that included USGA champions and PGA tour winners, Lee opened with a 65 before closing with a third-place finish, one shot in front of former Aggie standout Ryan Palmer, who began his run at the U.S. Open with a 78 on Thursday.
The 2017 U.S. Open resumes with the second round on Friday morning. Following the round the field will be trimmed to golfers in the top 60 on the leaderboard who will compete in the event’s final 36 holes.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics