It’s one of my favorite times of the golf season. The sectional qualifiers for the U.S. Open are nearly here.

The whole process starts back in the winter, when hopeful players submit a registration form to the USGA. They then go to 18-hole local qualifying in May, where a few players from each of the 82 sites around the country advance to the next stage, which is the sectional. The sectional is 36 holes of pressure packed golf.

In Columbus, Ohio, where I work as a golf journalist, there usually is a sectional qualifier each year on the Monday following the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club. It’s packed with high-quality players who are really grinding to get in - the 25 or so men who get through that stage are in the final field of the Open, played this year at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh.

This event and other sectionals around the country are great examples of no-cost, upper tier golf watching opportunities. Patrons are allowed to walk the courses for free, there are generally no ropes and small galleries. If you want to see superstar golfers churning their guts for a birdie, this is the place to be. You can see the schedule on usga.org.

I’ve got some great stories of things I’ve seen in the past. I’ll crank out a few in my next blog.

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