Scott McNeil (right) bumps fists with caddie Matt Doyle following a birdie on No. 3 (par 4, 460 yards).

Bala’s McNeil medals in U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Trump

  PINE HILL, N.J. — The venue requires length and accuracy. The golfer knows length all too well, but accuracy’s proven to be a problem child as of late.

  Scott McNeil, a stout swinging amateur out of Bala Golf Club, figured things out in time to meet the demands of Trump National Golf Club — Philadelphia (par 72, 7,060 yards). He carded a 4-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors in a U.S. Open Local Qualifier administered by the Golf Association of Philadelphia Monday. Professionals Chris Gray, Braden Shattuck, Michael Tobiason, Jr. and Adam Webb also advanced.

  The 115th U.S. Open will be held June 18-21 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.

  “I worked hard the last week or so. I just kind of hoped that I would peak today and not too soon, and I definitely didn’t peak too soon,” McNeil, 29, of Philadelphia, Pa., said. “I just had to trust [the driver]. Early on, I missed it a little right and a little left. Today I was able to just pick a line and go with it. I got to hit some hybrids off the tee to keep myself in good position most of the day. It was nice to be able to place the ball.”

  McNeil navigated Trump’s elevation changes and tumultuous terrain alongside caddie and fellow Bala member Matt Doyle.

  “He came over yesterday and lasered things out so he could coach me around,” McNeil, who manages a parking garage for Penn Rittenhouse Condominiums in Rittenhouse Square, said. “I played in a U.S. Open [Local] Qualifier here [in 2012], so I had a good idea of the layout, but he was huge in making sure that he could talk me through numbers. We set a gameplan and we’re able to execute it perfectly.”

  That gameplan emphasized optimal positioning off the tee and short irons into the greens. McNeil, who started on the back nine, followed it. He hit an 8-iron to six feet above the No. 13 (par 3, 185 yards) hole location and drained the birdie putt — the conversion a subpar accelerant.

  “I missed six-footers on the two holes before that. I just didn’t trust the stroke and finally we got one that was right edge,” McNeil said. “I got the nerves out of the way with the first couple and was able to put a good stroke on it and knock it in.”

  The par 3, 175-yard 16th hole netted a near identical sequence — an 8-iron to eight feet. McNeil also birdied No. 15 (par 4, 443 yards) after sending a 9-iron 152 yards to 10 feet. Similar yardages throughout his front nine yielded the same swing, which “kept producing good results.” The testy par 4, 460-yard No. 3 showcased McNeil’s strength. He powered a hybrid into the center of the fairway and watched his downwind 9-iron from 152 yards ride the green’s right-to-left slope and settle 12 feet from the cup. McNeil chatted with Doyle and converted the ensuing putt for a 3. The next hole (par 4, 435 yards) represented one of two bogeys on the day. McNeil blocked a 21-degree hybrid left, returned to the fairway and knocked a 58-degree wedge 88 yards to eight. His par putt stopped a rotation short in the heart.

  McNeil, who finished fourth in the 2014 William Hyndman, III POY standings, birdied two of his last four holes to seize the medalist platform outright. On No. 6 (par 4, 406 yards), he poured a six-footer into the center after hitting a wedge 138 yards. McNeil, still adhering to his Trump gameplan, played the tempting par 5, 530-yard No. 9 as a three-shot hole. It rewarded as he stopped a 60-yard pitch at two feet. McNeil also points to pars on a pair of long par 3s (Nos. 5, 202 yards and 8, 215 yards) as critical moments.

  “We were able to survive those by hitting quality shots,” he said. “If I wasn’t on the green I was off by a couple steps and I could still get a putter on it.”

  McNeil will head to Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club in Purchase, N.Y. for Sectional qualifying June 8. He’s attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open twice before, failing to make it past the Local stage. Playing in a national championship, though, is the last thing on his mind.

  “I’m really preparing for St. Davids [Golf Club, site of the GAP Middle-Amateur Championship May 20-21] more than the U.S. Open. This will help,” McNeil said. “I don’t usually play well this early in the year. I’ve played a little more this year early on to get ready.”

  Shattuck and Webb carded respective 3-under-par 69s to advance. Shattuck, a former amateur who worked in the bag room at Concord Country Club, changed career paths during the winter. He birdied four of his last five holes to secure a spot. Shattuck, who started on the back nine, hit a sand wedge 121 yards to a foot on No. 4 and a lob wedge 100 yards to 25 feet on No. 7 (par 5, 560 yards). He chipped in on No. 6 (par 4, 406 yards) after flying the green with an 8-iron from 145 yards. Shattuck rolled a 15-footer from the back fringe into kick-in range on No. 9.

  Shattuck’s lone Sectional appearance occurred in 2013. He will travel to Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. for the next stage.

  “I’m still going through some swing changes, but it’s coming around,” Shattuck, 20, of Aston, Pa., said. “It’ll get better the more tournaments I play in.”

  Shattuck and Webb will both compete in a qualifier for the Web.com Tour’s Rex Hospital Open. The latter currently plays on the eGolf Professional Tour. Webb, 27, of Ridgeway, Va., never advanced to U.S. Open Sectional qualifying. He will head to Springfield Country Club in Springfield, Ohio on June 8.

  “I think I shot 69 twice to not make it through,” he said. “When I saw Trump’s name on [this venue], I figured I’d give it a go. You have to play a practice round here. There are maybe seven blind tee shots. You have to keep it in play and give yourself putts. I just played solid.”

  Gray and Tobiason, a pair of professionals who hail from Delaware, also qualified in 2012 at Trump National — Philadelphia. Gray heads to Sectional qualifying for the fourth time; Tobiason’s reached that level in five consecutive years, including an appearance in the Championship proper in 2011.

  The Golf Association of Philadelphia will administer a second U.S. Open Local Qualifier on Thursday, May 14 at Makefield Highlands Golf Club.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.