Hagestad qualifies for his second major, finishing third at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying in Newport Beach
Stewart Hagestad felt right at home during his final round of the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying event Monday at Big Canyon Country Club.
Surrounded by family and friends, the Newport Beach resident was in his comfort zone, especially to close as he birdied the par-5 No. 16 (sensationally from 25 feet out) and the par-5 No. 18. Hagestad, the Big Canyon Country Club member who was the low amateur at the Masters earlier this year, finished third to qualify for the U.S. Open.
He shot four-under-par 67 at Newport Beach Country Club in the morning, and four-under 68 at Big Canyon in the evening.
“I’ve been given a really cool opportunity,” said Hagestad, who was one of six who qualified for the U.S. Open, June 15 to 18 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. “I’m just going to try to make the most of it. I’m trying to commit to put everything I have into it at least until the [U.S. Mid Amateur Championship] in October. It’s been an amazing run. It’s been a lot of fun. But at the same time I’m really trying as hard as I can just to stay process-oriented and to try get better every day and find things to work and to improve upon.”
Hagestad, who recently won the Big Canyon men’s championship, entered with great confidence.
“[Hagestad] sent me a text three days ago that he would win the tournament,” said Jason Beach, Hagestad’s caddie.
John Oda, who is also an amateur, from Honolulu, Hawaii, was the medalist, finishing 11-under 132 (seven under at Newport Beach and four under at Big Canyon).
Amateurs grabbed five out of the six spots. Sahith Theegala of Chino Hills finished tied for fourth with pro Kevin Dougherty of Murrieta, and Sacramento’s Cameron Champ, an amateur, won a playoff that included Beau Hossler of Mission Viejo for the sixth and final spot.
Hagestad played as if he wanted to be the winner on No. 16, and a unique one at that. He went driver with his second shot, and it seemed as if he got into a bit of trouble as he had to chip in with a tree near his path to the green. But he got onto the green to set himself up for a dramatic birdie putt from 25 feet out. That put him at eight under and, at the time, a qualifying spot.
But he bogeyed the par-4 No. 17 to go back down to seven under. Yet, as he walked onto the green on No. 18, he calmly asked the volunteer score tracker, Jhan Van Hiel, a Big Canyon member, if he needed an eagle or if it was OK for par.
Hagestad, whose drive went about 315 feet on the 516-yard No. 18, missed his eagle putt from about 20 feet out and then sank his 4-foot birdie putt.
Costa Mesa’s Jake Knapp endured a rough round at Big Canyon that began with a quadruple bogey on No. 10 on Monday morning. He finished four over before going to Newport Beach, where he shot three under.
Knapp faced a challenging schedule coming into the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying. He finished tied for fourth at the Freedom 55 Financial Open in Vancouver, the first event on the PGA Tour Canada Mackenzie Tour, on Sunday.
He said his flight didn’t land until 10:30 p.m. in Los Angeles and the plane was stuck on the runway until just before midnight because of a problem at a gate. He didn’t get to bed until around 1:30 a.m. Monday.
“That made it that much tougher,” said Knapp, who qualified for the U.S. Open out of Newport Beach two years ago. “For 36 holes you want to be well rested.”
But Knapp said he would not change anything about his schedule because his goal for now is to reach the Web.com Tour.
“I want to go and play my full season on the Canadian tour,” Knapp said. “I’m happy with the way I played on the tour to start. I wouldn’t change anything [about my schedule]. I understood the path in front of me. I understood it would be hard. I don’t mind putting up the test for that.”
Max Homa of Corona del Mar, who has won twice on the Web.com Tour and is a former All-American from Cal, finished one shot better than Knapp. Homa went three under at Newport Beach and two over at Big Canyon.
Twitter: @SteveVirgen
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