Storylines for Week 3 of U.S. Open Local Qualifying

This is the third part in a weekly series on the path to the 126th U.S. Open Championship, which will be contested June 18-21, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. The two-stage process begins with 18-hole local qualifying held at 109 sites in 43 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Players who advance will join a group of locally exempt players in final qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 13 sites between May 18 and June 8.

► Arnold Palmer, 1960 U.S. Open champion and seven-time major winner, played in 32 U.S. Opens in his career, including four in New York State. Palmer’s grandsons, Sam Saunders and Will Wears, will try to follow in the World Golf Hall of Famer’s footsteps this summer. Saunders, a three-time U.S. Open qualifier, made 158 career PGA Tour starts until his retirement in the fall of 2024. The 38-year-old is entered in the Fort Collins, Colo., qualifier on May 5. Wears, 31, is an assistant coach for the Loyola (Md.) University men’s golf team and will tee it up at the local qualifier in Malvern, Pa., on May 4.

► The father-son duo of Scott and Luke Gutschewski are entered into their hometown qualifier at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club on May 6. Scott Gutschewski, 49, has played on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, where he has won three times. Luke Gutschewski, 23, was the co-medalist at the 2022 U.S. Amateur at The Ridgewood Country Club, in Paramus, N.J., and now plays on the Korn Ferry Tour after a collegiate career at Iowa State. Luke’s younger brother, Trevor Gutschewski, 19, won the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club and is exempt into final qualifying. He is completing his freshman season at the University of Florida.

► Luis Gagne, 28, shared low-amateur honors with Matt Parziale at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and has played in two U.S. Opens since (2019 and 2021). The Costa Rica native competes on the PGA Tour Americas and is entered into the Ormond Beach, Fla., qualifier at Plantation Bay Country Club on May 6.

Parziale, 38, an amateur from Brockton, Ma., won the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Capital City Club in Atlanta, Ga. He was the first player to receive an exemption into the U.S. Open by winning the previous year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur. Parziale turned professional in 2009 but regained his amateur status in 2012. He was a firefighter in his hometown until 2018; he’s now an insurance broker. Parziale is scheduled to play May 11 at Shaker Ridge Country Club, in Albany, N.Y.

► Greg Norman played in 19 U.S. Opens in his career, including the 1986 and 1995 U.S. Opens at Shinnecock Hills. Norman finished runner-up to Corey Pavin in 1995 and finished tied for 12th in 1986. The two-time major winner's son, Greg Norman, Jr., 40, is entered in the Vero Beach, Fla., qualifier at the Moorings Yacht & Country Club at Hawk’s Nest on May 6.

Tom Lehman finished tied for third at Shinnecock Hills in 1995, one of his five top 10s in the championship. The 1996 British Open champion’s sons, Sean and Tom, Jr., are both trying to qualify this year. Sean Lehman, 23, is playing in the Riverton (Wyo.) Country Club qualifier on May 7. Sean played college golf at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Tom Lehman, Jr., 30, is scheduled to play on May 11 at The Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif.

► There are no age limits to competing for a place in the 156-player U.S. Open field, and many teenagers will try. JT Stricklin IV, 13, and Beck Patrick, 14, are starting their qualifying journeys at the Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., qualifier on May 4. Patrick was the youngest entrant for the 2024 U.S. Open at Oakmont when he was 12 years old. Brothers Barron Beinke, 16, and Harrison Beinke, 14, will be teeing it up in the Pleasanton, Calif., qualifier at Ruby Hill Golf Club on May 5.