- On a picture-perfect Monday for golf, 82 hopefuls teed off at Springfield Country Club in the final step toward qualifying for the 125th U.S. Open. By day’s end, four players had punched their tickets to Oakmont Country Club—and one of them, Grant Haefner, delivered a memorable moment when claiming the Low Scorer Medal .

Haefner, a 26-year-old mini-tour professional from Michigan, entered as a relative unknown, with no major tour status and a résumé built through playing throughout the Midwest and Florida circuits. But Monday belonged to him.

After opening with a 68, Haefner stayed focused—so much so that he ignored the leaderboard until the final hole. It wasn’t until his second shot on the par-4 18th landed on the right fringe that he learned he was leading at 6-under par.

“I asked the guys where I stood,” Haefner said. “They said I was leading by one. I took my time on that putt. The greens were wild, and I just tried to feel it out.”

He read a massive right-to-left break, rolled the putt perfectly, and watched as it dropped. 

The patrons around the clubhouse erupted. Haefner raised his putter in the air, celebrated with his caddie, and secured medalist honors at 7-under (68–65). It was, by his own account, the best putt of his career—and it earned him a spot in his first U.S. Open.

“This means the world,” Haefner said. “I don’t have status. I just want to prove I belong. I can’t wait to tee it up at Oakmont.”

Joining Haefner in the Field

George Duangmanee of Fairfax, VA, and Maxwell Moldovan of Uniontown, OH, tied for runner-up at 5-under 135. Duangmanee, who recently made his PGA Tour debut at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, will be making his first U.S. Open appearance. Moldovan, a former Ohio State standout, will be heading to his fourth consecutive U.S. Open.

The final spot went to Zac Blair (Orem, UT), a 34-year-old PGA Tour veteran, who emerged from a four-way playoff at 4-under. Blair birdied the fourth playoff hole with a second shot to tap in distance after trading scores with John Peterson through three.  See every shot of Zac Blair's Playoff

The Alternates and the Longshots

John Peterson (Fort Worth, TX), a former PGA Tour player and first alternate, brought a nostalgic storyline to Springfield. In 2012, Peterson qualified through this site and went on to finish tied for fourth at the U.S. Open at Olympic Club, the lowest score in the Championship proper in the Springfield’s Qualifier History. Now 35, Peterson balances his garage door business and raising four kids, but proved he still has game.

“I’ve only played 20 rounds this year,” he said. “I’m proud to hang with guys who do this for a living. I still love to compete—even if I don’t do it for a living anymore.”  View Interview

Kurt Kitayama and Dawson Armstrong also reached the playoff but fell short. Kitayama, winner of the 2023 Arnold Palmer Invitational finished in the second alternate position.

Greaser’s Rally Falls Short, Wedding Awaits

Austin Greaser, a Vandalia Butler alum and All-American at UNC, made a strong comeback after a rough start. He opened with a 74, one of the higher scores of the morning, then fired a tournament-low 64 in the afternoon. A flurry of birdies on 13, 14, 15, 

and 17 gave him a shot, but a bogey on the final hole left him two strokes short of a playoff.

Still, Greaser found perspective. Next week, instead of competing at Oakmont—where he finished runner-up in the 2021 U.S. Amateur—he’ll be marrying his high school sweetheart, Alayna Liskey, in Chapel Hill, NC.

“I felt the nerves and the pressure, and I’m proud of how I responded,” Greaser said. “This week’s a big one. It’s been circled on the calendar for a while—but for more reasons than golf.”

Greaser now returns to the Korn Ferry Tour, where he hopes to build momentum. Despite inconsistent results this season, he remains focused on improving.

Looking Ahead

The 125th U.S. Open will take place June 12–15 at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh. For Haefner, Duangmanee, Moldovan, and Blair, Monday marked the end of one journey—and the thrilling beginning of another.

For Scores

For Images

For Video Recap