McRae tops hopefuls headed to sectionals

Robert McRae was only a few days removed from his junior year at Saint Mary's College in California playing a course he was unfamiliar with, but he was still the best of 81 hopefuls at the U.S. Open local qualifying at the Salt Lake Country Club.

The 21-year-old McRae fired a 4-under-par 68 at the renovated Country Club layout to gain medalist honors and lead a group of five players to the sectional stage of the U.S. Open qualifying next month.

A couple of Sandy professionals, Steve Schneiter and Dustin Pimm, both shot 69, and Riverside assistant pro Matthew Baird shot 70. Amateur Michael Curtis claimed the fifth spot with a chip-in birdie on the first playoff hole after he and Provo pro Chris Moody both shot 71s.

Sandy amateur Brady Machin won the second alternate spot in a playoff after he, Brett Wayment and amateur Nick Nelson each shot 72.

"I played well today," said McRae. "I chipped and putted really well. That's big our here, because the greens are really firm. The greens are really good."

McRae made it out of local qualifying three years ago at Alpine CC but finished fifth in the sectional in Denver. This year he's headed to Columbus, Ohio, where more spots will be available, but the competition will be stiffer with several PGA Tour pros in the field.

The 45-year-old Schneiter had made it out of local qualifying several times, but has never played in a U.S. Open, despite playing in several PGA Tour events, including the PGA on numerous occasions.

The 22-year-old Pimm turned pro a year ago and works at South Mountain but is trying to make it as a playing professional. Baird and Curtis are both 34 and both are transplants to Utah. Baird just moved to Utah two months ago from Arizona after nearly qualifying for the PGA Tour last fall, while Curtis is a native of New Hampshire, who moved to Park City six years ago.

Besides Ohio, the five Utah qualifiers will be going to Colorado or California, where they need to finish among the top five to 10 percent in the sectional tourneys to punch their tickets to the U.S. Open at Bethpage, N.Y., June 18-21.

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