Big Canyon, Newport Beach country clubs land U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier

Big Canyon and Newport Beach country clubs will be the host sites for the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier for the Western United States June 3, 2013, the Southern California Golf Assn. has announced.

The SCGA will conduct the sectional qualifier, the final stage to the Open. The qualifiers – last year there were seven from the west – will advance to the Open June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.

Last year, the Western U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier was played at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City and the TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. It is expected the Golf Channel will provide full-day coverage of sectional qualifiers, SCGA president Dennis Harwood said.

Roughly 120 golfers will compete in the sectional qualifier, Harwood said. Half the field would play 18 holes at Big Canyon and the other half would play at Newport Beach, and they would switch in the 36-hole event.

Newport Beach and Big Canyon are not foreign to hosting big-time golf events.

Last year, Newport Beach was the host for the U.S. Open local qualifier, the event that advances players into the sectional qualifier.

The SCGA Amateur Championship was played at Big Canyon in July. Big Canyon will be the host for the 2014 United States Golf Assn. Senior Amateur.

And, of course there is the Toshiba Classic, the Champions Tour event that takes place at Newport Beach, and will be there again March 11-17.

“It’s an honor for the club, the membership and the owners,” said Perry Dickey, chief operating officer of Newport Beach Country Club. “Any time you can be a part of golf and any time you can be a part of something of this magnitude and give back to the game, it’s a big deal. We didn’t hesitate at all. It’s something we always try to support. We’re excited. It’s nice to be considered and it’s an honor to be a part of it.”

David Voorhees, the general manager of Big Canyon Country Club, is in China on business this week, and club pro Robert Pang is on vacation and were unavailable for comment, a Big Canyon administrator said on Tuesday.

steve.virgen@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveVirgen