Byrd Qualifies for US Open

June 5, 2003

Former Clemson All-American and current PGA Tour player Jonathan Byrd has qualified for the 2003 US Open. Byrd qualified on June 4 after finishing 36 holes at six-under-par at the Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, MD. He finished tied for ninth in the 156-player field thanks to a final round 67. He was one of 34 players to qualify from that site.

This year’s US Open will be played at Olympia Fields outside of Chicago June 12-15. Byrd is one of 83 golfers who got into the field through sectional qualifying, while 73 reached the field as the result of exempt status.

This is the first time Byrd has qualified for the US Open. Earlier this year he finished tied for eighth at The Masters, the highest finish ever for a former Clemson golfer at that tournament. Byrd is currently 54th on the PGA Tour money list with nearly $600,000 heading into this week’s event at the TPC in Avenel.

Byrd will become the third former Clemson golfer to play in the Masters and the US Open in the same year. Chris Patton (1990) and Dillard Pruitt (1992 and 1993) are the other former Clemson golfers to do it.

This will mark the fourth straight year at least one former Clemson golfer has played in the US Open. In 2000 Charles Warren and Kevin Johnson both participated, while the 2001 event saw Johnson and Joey Maxon qualify. Last year former Clemson golfer Lucas Glover qualified. Overall, Byrd is the ninth different former Clemson golfer to qualify for the US Open.

Former Tigers who have qualified for the US Open

Player Site Scores TotPar Fin Money 1981 Parker MooreArdmore, PA 77-78 155 +15 MC 1989 Dillard Pruitt Rochester, NY68-74-81-75 298 +18 67 $4,099 1990 Chris Patton Medinah, IL 74-72146 +2 MC 1992 Dillard Pruitt PebbleBeach, CA 73-73-74-77 297 +9 44$8,007 1994 Chris Patton Oakmont, PA 76-WD 76 +5 MC 1995 OswaldDrawdy Springfield, NJ 74-78 152 +8 MC 2000 Charles Warren PebbleBeach, CA 75-74-75-74 298 +14 37 $22,056 Kevin Johnson PebbleBeach, CA 74-76 150 +8 MC 2001 Kevin Johnson Tulsa, OK 77-76 153+13 MC Joey Maxon Tulsa, OK 74-76 150 +10 MC 2002 Lucas GloverFarmingdale, NY 74-77 151 +11 MC