U.S. Open Local Qualifying: Union League Liberty Hill

Merion’s Bradbeer medals, takes course record

LAFAYETTE HILL, Pa. – Peter Bradbeer came back to a playing surface he grew up on and set another record.

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Bradbeer, the 2021 William Hyndman, III Player of the Year and two-time Joseph H. Patterson Cup Champion, fired a 66 Monday to take medalist honors in U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Union League Liberty Hill (par 72, 7,402 yards).

“It is pretty cool to get another course record,” Bradbeer said. “I hit a ton of solid mid-irons into greens today and finally got the putter going a little bit. The round could have really been nuts had a few putts dropped on the back nine.”

Kyle Vance, who won the 2015 GAP Junior Boys’ Championship, now a professional out of Manayunk, Pa., carded a 67. Amateurs Austin Barbin of Elkton, Md. and Michael Lugiano of Shavertown, Pa. carded 68s. Professional Eric Beringer of Philadelphia, Pa. grabbed the fifth spot with a 69.

Amateurs Benjamin Saggers of West Chester, Pa. and Joe Tigani of Hockessin, Del. grabbed the final two spots in a 6-for-2 playoff.

The 124^th U.S. Open will take place June 13-16 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

“I have learned a lot in my professional journey,” Bradbeer, 26, of Rosemont, Pa., said. “I remember playing in my first one of these and having to write the USGA a letter saying that I wasn’t this bad after shooting an 84 and that I just had a bad day. Now to medal all these years later just shows how much progress I have made in golf.”

Bradbeer’s scintillating round bested the previous record by two. His ball striking and driving were masterclass. His putter was ironclad.

The Bucknell University graduate went out in 5 under and was 6 under through 10 holes after spearing a 9-iron from 146 yards to seven feet on No. 10 (par 4, 469 yards). A mix of a bogey and birdie coming in kept him at his magic number.

Bradbeer’s other course record resides at Manufacturers’ Golf & Country Club. His final-round 8-under 64 in the 2021 Patterson Cup established a new course record (when No. 18 is played as a par 5 using the upper green complex).

A professional for the past three years, Bradbeer has learned to embrace the grind. GAP has been a part of that development.

“I think it is hard to prepare for professional golf,” Bradbeer, of Merion Golf Club, said. “You go from playing one-day events or three-day events to four-day tournaments. It’s a lot of golf. Some guys go and blitz Monday qualifiers. But for me I found that I play my best when I play in something each week. That’s why I felt like I was so successful in the Patterson Cup because by the end of the summer, my game was sharp after all of the events I played in.”

Bradbeer will make his first trip to Final Qualifying at Canoe Brook Country Club (North and South) in Summit, N.J. on June 3. 

“I am playing well so you never know what can happen,” Bradbeer said. “I am excited that I got a good round under my belt and that I will get a chance to qualify for my first major when I head to Canoe Brook.”

Vance’s journey in the professional game has been one of hard luck but of even harder grit and determination. He’s had two hip labrum tears in the last two years. Both requiring surgery.

“I pretty much had to train myself how to walk again,” Vance, 25, said. “It took about six months to get back to normal. When I tore it in 2022, I had already paid the $5,000 entry fee for Korn Ferry Tour Q-School. So I just got a cortisone shot and that didn’t work. I could barely walk. The following year, I had full status on PGA TOUR Canada and then tore it again during the last event of the season. I had to withdraw. I didn’t even know how to withdraw.”

This will be his second trip to Final Qualifying and he will be going to Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. on June 3.

“I feel more comfortable with my game this time around,” Vance, who plays out of Cedarbrook Country Club, said. “Woodmont is like Liberty Hill in the sense that the people who qualify have earned it. I was jittery the last time I played in the Final Qualifying. That won’t be the case this time.”

Lugiano and Barbin live about close to three hours away from each’s respective hometown but they will have one thing in common next fall. Barbin is about to end his college golf career at Liberty University and Lugiano is about to be an incoming freshman. Both will head to Woodmont for Final Qualifying.

Barbin and his teammates will be playing in the NCAA Regional at Stanford Golf Course hosted by Stanford University on May 13-15. 

“I’ve been struggling this year but I have been working on the right things and am starting to see improvements,” Barbin, 23, said. “Leading up to this tournament, I was scrolling back through my 2019 memories when I got through Local last time. It lit a fire in me that I needed. I played with [PGA TOUR professional] Denny McCarthy last time and really was just enjoying the experience. I will be more prepared this time and will be in the right frame of mind. This round was a huge confidence boost.”

Lugiano, the Huntsville Golf Club member, said Liberty Hill set up well for him. He was able to keep his driver in play and set up scoring opportunities. He’ll need more of them to make it through Final Qualifying.

“Going to Final Qualifying will be fun,” Lugiano, 18, said. “It will be the highest competition that I have ever played at so I am excited to see how I hold up. You need to play steady golf. I am excited for it.”

GAP will next administer U.S. Open Local Qualifying on May 7 at Running Deer Golf Club in Pittsgrove, N.J.

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 110,000 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.