By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech will have some representation next week at Shinnecock for the 118th U.S. Open golf tournament as Scott Stallings put together a strong final round to qualify for next week's event.
This will mark Stallings' second career appearance in the U.S. Open and first since 2013 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Penn. It will be his 10th appearance in a major, the first since competing in the 2014 Open Championship.
Stallings shot a 4-under 67 in Monday's final round at Ridgeway Country Club (par 71), to secure his spot in a three-way tie for sixth with a two-day total of 8-under. He also shot 4-under in his first round at the par 72 Colonial Country Club.
The top 11 in the qualifier earned spots.
Sam Burns won the qualifier with a 15-under, while Steve Stricker and Mackenzie Hughes were tied with a 10-under.
The Memphis qualifier was one of ten American sites, one in England and one in Japan as more than 700 golfers tried to make the event for one of professional golf's four major titles.
The 118th U.S. Open will be held Jun 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in Shinnecock Hills, New York. The tournament, with a $12 million purse, will be televised on FOX and FS1.
Stallings, a 2007 Business Management graduate and TTU Sports Hall of Famer, is currently 96th in the FedEx Cup standings with 342 points and ranks 151st in the overall world golf ranking. His last PGA Tour victory came in 2014 at the Farmers Insurance Open.
In 19 events this season, he has finished in the top 10 twice and the top 25 three times. He has made the cut in 11 events. His highest finishes this season was a tie for fourth in the Genesis Open, a seventh-place spot at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a tie for 23rd in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
He has a scoring average this season of 71.042.
Stallings will compete in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis this weekend before heading to Shinnecock.