2026 U.S. Open Local Qualifying: York

Home-club hopeful Patel medals at York

YORK, Pa. — Homework made home work for Rij Patel Thursday.

| Scoring portal |

The Country Club of York member took notes during twilight trips to his golf abode of five years. He played in the club’s Masters tournament Saturday. He represented York in the BMW GAP Team Matches Sunday.

All in preparation of Patel’s participation in U.S. Open Local Qualifying administered by GAP at York (par 70, 6,731 yards). He aced the test; Patel carded a 4-under-par 66 to earn medalist honors.

Cougar Collins, a touring professional from Canada, also advanced in regulation with a score of 3-under-par 67. Thaddeus Obency, II of Wheeling, W. Va. and Mike Van Sickle of Wexford, Pa. survived a 3-for-2 playoff for the remaining positions.

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

“I wanted to make sure I was playing positional golf, playing to the middle of greens,” Patel, 28, of Hunt Valley, Md., said. “I was working on pace because these greens get slick. I was just really happy with how I managed my golf ball today.”

Effectively, as Patel’s clean card suggests. He turned in 2 under following back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 (par 3, 185 yards) and 7 (par 4, 366 yards). On the former, Patel buried an 18-footer following a crisp 8-iron. His pitching wedge from 136 yards on the latter stopped four feet from the flagstick. Narrow birdie misses on Nos. 1 (par 4, 429 yards) and 5 (par 4, 393 yards) reassured Patel; his speed control felt destined for deliverance on the Donald Ross greens.

Patel converted a left-to-right breaking 20-footer for birdie on No 10 (par 4, 331 yards) after a lob wedge approach from 77 yards. He nearly eagled the par 5, 525-yard 14^th hole. Patel sent a 6-iron from 213 yards to 20 feet; his ensuing eagle try hung on the edge. The next two holes threaten to spoil Patel’s studies. A relatively loose drive on No. 15 (par 4, 489 yards) left Patel in the right rough. His hybrid from 237 yards caught the left bunker. Patel’s extrication led to a 10-footer for par. He executed the sand save. On the treacherous No. 16 (par 4, 408), its green full of tiers for fears, Patel (maybe) shouted once securing an uphill eight-footer for par.

“Everything came together” for Patel’s first competitive round of the year. His performance Thursday cast aside ghosts of York past. In 2024, Patel injured his right wrist during U.S. Open Local Qualifying at York and withdrew. He missed the cut a year ago with a score of 74.

That wrist is better nowadays. Osteoarthritis, but he manages the pain more efficiently. A bulging disc in his back is another ailment, one that afflicted Patel eight months ago. He underwent 15-20 physical therapy sessions. Exercise is paramount to his production on the golf course.

“Right now, I’m doing a lot of mobility focus, making sure I’m finding time for strength training, stretching,” Patel, who works for Calvert Street Investment Partners, said. “I was up until midnight working last night. Then it was stretching until 12:30.”

Patel will head to U.S. Open Final Qualifying on June 8 at Woodmont Country Club (North Course) in Rockville, Md. It will mark his first appearance, although Patel is familiar with the scene ahead. He caddied for friend Steve Cerbara in 2022 at Woodmont. Three days ago, Cerbara carded a course-record 63 at Medford Village Country Club to earn medalist honors in U.S. Open Local Qualifying administered by GAP.

“I messaged him the other day. ‘You could’ve just shot 5 under,’” Patel said. “It’s nice to stay in touch with him.”

Collins holds conditional status on PGA TOUR Americas. York fit his travel schedule, one currently sprinkled with Monday qualifiers.

“I didn’t make many mistakes today, and the putter was working pretty nicely,” Collins, 26, of Caledon, Ontario, said. “I made a couple of crucial putts down the stretch, which was good. On No. 16, I ended up hitting my drive right and had to hit my approach just short of the green. I had 15 feet for par and ended up making that one.”

This is the third time Collins advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying. He heads to Lambton Golf and Country Club in Canada on June 8.

Obency is the men’s and women’s golf coach at Wheeling University. He, like Collins, will make his third appearance in U.S. Open Final Qualifying. Van Sickle is an instructor at No Offseason Golf in Mars, Pa. He qualified for the U.S. Open in 2016. Van Sickle is a former Pennsylvania Amateur (2008) and Open (2007-08) champion.

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.