Haney’s bid for Open ended

With two superb rounds and a top-four finish, Grant Haney would be in line to punch his ticket to New York to take part in the prestigious 109th U.S. Open Championship.

Haney, a 2003 St. Francis High graduate, basically needed to play the two best rounds of his life to compete in a championship with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and others.

Unfortunately for Haney, his bid to compete in his first major event fell short, as he finished with a two-round score of 160 on Monday in a sectional qualifying event at Saticoy Country Club in Somis.

Haney, a Cal State Monterey Bay graduate, finished in a three-way tie for 65th with Don Levin and Larry Correa in the 84-player field in Ventura County.

“Right off the bat, I was a little shaky,” said Haney, who qualified for Monday’s event after earning medalist honors with a two-under-par 70 at a local qualifying round at Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa on May 12. “I was thinking a little too much out there.

“That said, it was a great experience to get to the sectionals and being able to go up against a lot of good players.”

Haney carded a five-over-par 77 during his first round before coming back with an 83 in the final round. All told, Haney finished his 36 holes with three birdies, 18 pars, 13 bogeys and a pair of triple bogeys on the 6,958-yard course.

“I calmed down after a bad start in the first round,” Haney said. “It’s a tricky course, and my irons were not as tight as I would have liked them to be.

“I had to be careful on the greens. I just didn’t capitalize on my putts and irons, but my tee shots were OK.”

It will mark the second time that the championship will be played at Bethpage. Woods won the championship when the event was played there in 2002. He’s also the reigning champion after he edged Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff at Torrey Pines South Course in San Diego.