Osberg, Mullen head U.S. Open Local Qualifier at The Golf Course at Glen Mills

  GLEN MILLS, Pa.–Jeff Osberg, 21, and William Mullen, 23, carded 1-under-par 70s at The Golf Course at Glen Mills (par 71, 6,602 yards) on Monday, earning co-medallist honors in a local qualifier for the U.S. Open Championship. Osberg, Mullen and three others advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifiers set for June 5-6 at multiple nationwide sites.

  The others advancing to sectionals were amateur Clint Deibert, the 2005 GAP Amateur Champion; Nathanial Sell, 25, of Philadelphia, Pa., an assistant professional at Philadelphia Cricket Club; and touring professional Jonathan Rusk from Washington Crossing, Pa.

  This Local Qualifier (field of 87 players, 46 pros, 41 amateurs) is one of 111, 18-hole local qualifiers for the U.S. Open Championship that will be played June 15-18 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

  Osberg, an amateur and recent graduate of Guilford College in North Carolina, stressed the importance of accuracy during his sub-par round that saw him hit 15 greens in regulation.

  “Consistency,” exclaimed Osberg of Chester Springs, Pa. ” I didn’t really hit it to where I could get in any trouble. That’s the key.”

  Mullen, a communications graduate out of Temple University, followed suit, missing only one fairway and hitting 16 greens in regulation.

  An assistant professional out of Plymouth Country Club, Mullen stressed the importance of hitting it down the middle.

  “If you miss the greens here, it’s really tough to get up and down,” said Mullen, who registered four birdies and three bogeys.

  Mullen, who is advancing to a U.S. Open Sectional for the first time, birdied No. 14 (par 3, 154 yards) when he hit an 8-iron to within 15 feet behind the pin and drained the downhill putt.

  Osberg, who also advances for the first time to a Sectional, made back-to-back birdies on No.16 (par 3, 156 yards) and No. 17 (par 5, 483 yards). On No 16, he hit a 7-iron to three feet left of the cup.

  “That helped me finish off strong,” Osberg said.

  Tied for second, Sell also had a strong finish as he birdied four of the last five holes.

  “On No. 18 (par 4, 464 yards), I hit a 4-iron from about 200 yards out to about eight feet from the pin,” Sell said. “It was a good way to end my round.”

  Osberg heads to Canoe Brook CC in Summit, N.J. and Mullen will travel to the Rockville, Md., site for the Sectional Qualifier.

  Deibert, Rusk and Sell are all headed to Summit, N.J.