2026 U.S. Open Local Qualifying: Chester Valley

Trio tops U.S. Open Local Qualifying

MALVERN, Pa. — Eleven years ago, Christopher Crawford, an amateur out of Spring Mill Country Club, captured the Joseph H. Patterson Cup, GAP’s premiere stroke-play championship, at Chester Valley Golf Club.

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He returned to the Malvern, Pa. property Monday as a golf professional on PGA TOUR Americas with three U.S. Open appearances (2016-17, 2021) to his credit. Feeling friendly familiarity, he moved a step closer to a fourth.

Crawford, 32, of Sarasota, Fla., shared medalist honors in U.S. Open Local Qualifying administered by GAP at Chester Valley (par 70, 6,615 yards). He, along with Michael Graboyes, a professional from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Dao Zhou, a rising sophomore at Swarthmore College, carded respective 1-under-par 69s.

Amateurs David Hurly of Aronimink Golf Club and Patrick McRae of Kennett Square Golf & Club also advanced in regulation with respective scores of 70. Home-club hopeful John Curran, an amateur who will head to Penn State University in the fall, survived an 8-for-1 playoff to round out the qualifiers.

The 126th U.S. Open will take place June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

“Last year I played [in U.S. Open Local Qualifying] in Florida, and obviously I’d rather try to get home and play here if I can. I saw Chester Valley and was like, ‘I haven’t been here in 11 years. It sounds like a good spot to try and come back to,’” Crawford, a Bensalem, Pa. native and Drexel University alum, said. “I have good memories from here. It played pretty hard today. Firm and windy. The Patterson Cup was in August, and I don’t think conditions were like this.”

Crawford, who started on the back nine, arrived well-conditioned for Chester Valley’s demands. He finished fifth in PGA TOUR Americas 94 Abierto del Centro Zurich presentado por Personal April 23-26. Crawford spent the week finetuning his game. On Saturday, he worked with friend Steve Sieracki, the Director of Instruction at The Legacy Club. Crawford and his father Joe enjoyed a round of golf yesterday at Spring Mill.

The creature comforts of home brought immediate returns, too; Crawford opened with a birdie on No. 10 (par 3, 185 yards). But three consecutive bogeys threatened to send Crawford home early. He misjudged the wind on Nos. 13 (par 4, 450 yards) and 15 (par 3, 161 yards). A poor second shot on No. 14 (par 5, 497 yards) turned a score into a slap on the wrist. Crawford made the turn in 1 over.

Leave it to the notoriously unflappable to play notoriously unflappable golf. He birdied No. 6 (par 4, 419 yards) after hitting an 8-iron 152 yards to 18 feet. Crawford closed his campaign by burying a downhill 20-footer on No. 9 (par 4, 381 yards) following a lob wedge from 102 yards.

Crawford will compete in PGA TOUR Americas events in Lima, Peru and Quito, Ecuador before heading to U.S. Open Final Qualifying June 8 at Woodmont Country Club (North Course) in Rockville, Md. On May the Fourth (be with you), perhaps appearance No. 4 awaits.

“I always love Final Qualifying day. I love 36-hole days. You wake up with a chance to qualify for a Major. It’s one of the most fun days of the year,” Crawford said.

Zhou, 19, of Shanghai, China, is a biology/economics major at Swarthmore. Chester Valley’s location inspired his participation. Oh, and this.

“I just wanted to try something I never tried before,” Zhou said.

Well, it worked. Zhou appeared on the fast track to solo medalist honors at 4 under. The back-nine birdies read as follows: a lob wedge 86 yards to two feet on No. 11 (par 4, 386 yards); a 7-iron 148 yards to 10 feet on No. 12 (par 4, 421 yards); a 3-wood from 255 yards and a two putt from 20 feet on No. 14 and a 6-iron to three feet on No. 15.

A flier lie on No. 16 (par 4, 430 yards), compounded by a three-putt from 10 feet, caused a double bogey there. Zhou flew No. 18 (par 4, 441 yards) green with a 50-degree wedge from 103 yards and failed to get up-and-down for par.

Zhou considers mindset his game’s greatest strength. It ultimately showed Monday.

“I was just trying to enjoy myself as much as possible,” Zhou, who will compete in U.S. Open Final Qualifying at Hino Golf Club in Japan on May 25, said. “This is a very rare opportunity. It comes once a year. I want to make the best memories on the course and have fun. I wasn’t expecting anything. I think that really helped me, especially when I was 2 over through six holes. At that point, I was like, ‘It doesn’t matter what I shoot. I just have to enjoy my round.’ I didn’t look at a leaderboard at all today. I was surprised I was leading when I was done.”

Co-medalist Graboyes holds PGA TOUR Americas status as well as conditional Korn Ferry Tour status. His previously appeared in a national championship: the 2017 U.S. Amateur. Graboyes, 29, turned professional in 2018.

Hurly and McRae both carried BMW GAP Team Matches momentum into Chester Valley. The two swept their respective singles matches less than 24 hours ago.

“Playing in a tournament like this, you never know how you’re going to react. I’m really happy with how I responded today,” Hurly, 25, of Newtown Square, Pa., said.

“My buddy Jeff Miller twisted my arm last year, and I shot even [in U.S. Open Local Qualifying]. I wanted to try it again,” McRae, 34, of Kennett Square, Pa., said. “I don’t even know where I signed up for Final Qualifying. We’re due [our second child] the end of May, so it’s going to be a busy few weeks. My daughter will be pretty excited when I tell her I qualified.”

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 Association’s 345 Member Clubs and 140,000 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.