An 11-man playoff. Big names such as Bob Tway wearing shorts and grinding for pars. Bubba Watson driving 400-yard par 4s and shooting 136 on two of the world’s toughest golf courses. If you are a golf fan, the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier at Ohio State University Scarlet Course and Scioto Country Club was as good as it gets.

Blustery winds and every shape of cloud imaginable framed the day in Columbus, where the largest qualifier for the U.S. Open in the world was played on June 4. In total, 24 players and two alternates from the field of 143 qualified for the Open in the 36-hole, one-day event. Oakmont awaits them.

The event was complete with big names and galleries so small the good looking wives and girlfriends of the players stuck out in stark contrast to the older men interested in the free golf experience. Ryan Moore, Harrison Frazar, Jerry Kelly, Camilo Villegas, Sean O’Hair and tons of other PGA Tour players competed (and all those mentioned qualified).

Names such as John Cook and Mark O’Meara went home.

Amazingly, so many guys dropped out before the event that all nine alternates waiting in the parking lot got to play.

This was a new rota of courses for this qualifier, and the newly redesigned Scarlet played 7,329 yards at par 71, with tough pin placements and short rough. The venerable Scioto, host to majors and the site of the 1926 Bobby Jones U.S. Open victory, played to par 70 at 7,096, with long rough and more generous pin locations.

Sweet.

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