Local Tour veteran qualifies to play at Congressional
In the middle of the second round of the U.S. Open sectional qualifying, a man dressed in black walked straight up the fairway Fred Funk was playing. The PGA Tour veteran recognized laser eye surgeon Mark Whitten and greeted him with a bear hug.
Everywhere Funk walked Monday at Woodmont Country Club, he was toasted by friends and fans and buoyed by the presence of his family, including his 15-year-old son, Taylor, his caddie.
Perhaps it was the warm welcome in his hometown and the familiar lines of Woodmont that lifted the 54-year-old from the worst slump of his pro career as he qualified for the U.S. Open. Firing a 6-under-par 135, Funk made it with a shot to spare.
| U.S. Open Sectionals |
| Kirk Triplett 69-64* – 133 |
| Jon Mills 70-67* – 134 |
| Fred Funk 67*-68 – 135 |
| Ty Tryon 71-64* – 135 |
| Elliot Gealey 70-65* – 135 |
| Michael Tobiason 69*-66 – 135 |
| Will Wilcox 67*-69 – 136 |
| Bubba Dickerson 72-64* – 136 |
| David May 68-68* – 136 |
| Christo Greyling 67*-69 – 136 |
| *Woodmont South |
Two days after his 55th birthday, Funk will tee off at Congressional in what promises to be a special U.S. Open on June 16-19.
“It’s going to be really, really long for me, too long for me to realistically compete,” Funk said of the course, which will be set up at 7,574 yards. “But to go out and play the U.S. Open at age 55, it means a lot.”
Funk will be the lone local player at Congressional. In Columbus, Ohio, PGA Tour Steve Marino of Fairfax failed to qualify.
Funk, the oldest player in the field of 112 at Woodmont, was one of 10 who qualified. The most familiar qualifier was fallen PGA Tour prodigy Ty Tryon (135), who made it through at Woodmont for the second straight year.
“I’m excited to go back to the Open,” said Tryon, 27. “I think I’m better prepared to deal with it this year.”
Half of the qualifiers at Woodmont were in the field in the Nationwide Tour’s Prince George’s County Open. One of the nonqualifiers, however, was conspicuous. A day after he completed the most decisive victory in Nationwide history, Steve Wheatcroft withdrew, walking off the course after 22 holes. He had shot a 5-over 74 on Woodmont’s shorter and gentler course, the South.
The day belonged to Funk, who has struggled with his swing, missing five straight cuts on the PGA Tour, his longest checkless streak since joining the circuit in 1993. This weekend at the Principal Charity Classic, Funk had his worst finish (72nd) in 84 career starts on the Champions Tour.
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I kind of lost it for a while,” Funk said of his swing. “I been working on some things to try to get better, and I just went the other way.”
After shooting 67 on Woodmont South, Funk lit up the front nine of the North, making five birdies in a stretch of seven holes.
“I told Taylor, ‘I’m teaching you the way not to play on the golf course,’?” Funk said of his slump. “The irony is that everybody thinks I’m always having a great time on the golf course. But I was ready to quit.”
