THE FLATS – Tyler Strafaci, playing in the final group of the second round Friday at the 118th U.S. Open golf championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., looked like Georgia Tech’s last hope to make the cut and play the weekend when he rolled in a 24-foot putt for birdie on the par-3 sixth hole.
The Yellow Jacket rising junior, playing his 15th hole of the round, got back to 8-over-par with the birdie and was on the cut line with three holes to play. But after a par at the seventh hole and a solid tee shot at No. 8, he left his approach short and in the front bunker of the par-4 hole, was unable to get up and down and gave the stroke right back. His tee shot at the ninth was off-line, leading to another bogey at his finishing hole.
Strafaci posted the Jackets’ best score Friday (72, +2), but finished 36 holes at 10-over-par 150 and met the same fate as a number of former U.S. Open champions like Graeme McDowell, Lucas Glover and Jordan Spieth, all of whom finished at 9-over-par, and Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who matched his 10-over score. Only two of 20 amateurs in the field made the cut, Ohio State senior Will Grimmer (+5), LSU senior Luis Gagne (+5) and Brockton, Mass., firefighter Matt Parziale (+7).
Thus ended the weekend for a school-record six Georgia Tech current and former golfers in the U.S. Open. After 36 holes, Roberto Castro (+9) wound up as the Yellow Jackets’ highest finisher, tying for 68th place, one shot below the cut line of +8. He shot 74 on Friday following an opening 75.
Chesson Hadley (+11), Ollie Schniederjans (+12), Matt Kuchar (+12) and Richy Werenski (+1) also are going home to prepare for the resumption of the PGA Tour schedule next week.
