2025 U.S. Open Local Qualifying: Huntsville

Brown rides a big bird to medalist honors

DALLAS, Pa. — Chasing the PGA TOUR requires a life of inconvenience and not convenience. Making last-minute plans to try to get into an event or qualifier. Flying by the seat of your pants and living on the road is a requirement. 

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Monday at Huntsville Golf Club (par 72, 7,135 yards), Evan Brown finally got a quick, yet rewarding taste of convenience. He took advantage of one of the final U.S. Open Local Qualifying events and earned medalist honors with a 70 at Huntsville.

Professionals Brandon Matthews, T.J. Howe and Alex Pillar also earned spots in Final Qualifying with rounds of 71, which was right on the cutline.

The 125^th U.S. Open will take place June 12-15 at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.

Brown’s girlfriend Brooke just graduated from Syracuse University this past weekend and he was looking for a qualifier nearby. The closest ones were sold out but there were spots available at Huntsville. A hearty 2 hours 15 minutes from Chadds Ford, Pa., where he grew up, Brown took a chance. It paid off.

“I got in here last night and just drove around the course,” Brown, 25, who lives in Hilton Head, S.C., said. “I got a feel for it and what I felt like I needed to do to be able to succeed. This was kind of a unique opportunity because you have expectations of how you want to play whether it was a practice round or the real thing. I wanted to focus on hitting fairways and greens to give myself opportunities to score.”

Brown, who has conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour, executed the recipe to stress-free elite-level golf. Handle the par 5s and get by on the par 3s and par 4s. He played the four par 5s in 4 under.

“It is awesome to be back in Pennsylvania even though it is still a bit away from Chadds Ford,” Brown said. “I just don’t get the opportunity to play in many events or qualifiers in Pennsylvania. It is nice to be playing some bentgrass greens again. Getting back to see some of my friends was great. I have been super fortunate to be able to travel all over because of my great sponsors.”

After mixing a birdie on No. 1 (par 5, 516 yards) with two bogeys on the front, Brown needed to make a push. An easy two-putt birdie on No. 12 (par 5, 502 yards) after a 5-iron from 208 yards to 30 feet got him back to even par. 

Three perfect shots on the beastly 14th (par 5, 552 yards) pushed him to the top. A 6-iron from 220 yards left him a 30-footer from the fringe. The ball went all the way around the cylinder to its home. 

Brown, the 2019 Delaware Amateur Champion, tamed the nervy finish at Huntsville with four consecutive pars. His finish helped secure his golden ticket to Final Qualifying. He signed up to play at the qualifier in Durham, N.C. at Duke University Golf Club.

“This professional journey has been a bit of learning curve,” Brown said. “Going from Ole Miss for college to the pros you learn how to do everything on your own. You are running your own business in a sense. You need to employ the right coaches and people to help you reach your potential. There’s been some ups and downs but there has been a constant learning process. It’s been a blast. I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”

Matthews found his way back to his home region. He grew up in DuPont, Pa., which is 30 minutes from Huntsville. His game and health are also rebounding as well. After dealing with lumbar spine issues, Matthews said his body feels good and so does his game. 

He’s played in one U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. in 2022 and made the cut. He was first alternate at the 2013 edition at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. The tall, lanky bomber is ready to return to the form that led him to become a two-time Philadelphia Open Champion (2013, 2015), the 2013 William Hyndman, III Player of the Year, the 2021 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica Player of the Year and winner on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“My game is still a work in progress but it is for everyone including Scottie Scheffler,” Matthews, 30, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., said. “My body is starting to feel as good as it has felt in awhile. With all the work I was putting into my game, I would get to the back nine of a tournament round and a swing or two would throw my body out. I have been seeing much more consistency. I have three Korn Ferry Tour events coming up and hopefully we can play well there and keep the trend going upwards.”

Howe and Huntsville are one entity. He has made it through Local Qualifying here three times (2016, 2023 and 2025). In 2016, he made it to the Championship Proper at Oakmont and missed the cut.

“Everything at Huntsville sets me up for success,” Howe, 37, of Wellsboro, Pa., said. “I love it here. To play well at Final Qualifying you need to have a good mindset. There are a lot of good players and knowing you have to play well to advance takes the pressure off, at least for me. I try to keep it as simple as possible and not overthink it.”

Pillar, an assistant professional at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, N.Y. in the summer and Delray Dunes Golf & Country Club in Boynton Beach, Fla. in the winter, returned home to give U.S. Open Qualifying a go. His father John is the Director of Golf at Woodloch Springs in Hawley, Pa.

“This was my first time trying to qualify for the U.S. Open,” Pillar, 24, of Tafton, Pa., said. “I signed up thinking about how well I have been feeling about my game and where it is going. I figured I would give it a shot. They call it the longest day of golf for a reason. Who knows. If I play well for 36 holes, I might have a spot at Oakmont. Pretty cool to imagine.”

GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 125,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.