Zack Sucher finished the Hilton Head sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open as the first alternate.
The fifth and final spot there was decided in a three-man playoff between Akshay Bhatia, Ben Martin and Sucher. Bhatia, 19, ended up taking the final spot to get into the national championship.
Six days later, Sucher got the call from the U.S. Golf Association that he, too, is headed to Torrey Pines. Sucher was awarded the 156th and final spot in the 121st U.S. Open.
Sucher, 34, has played the course before. He tied for 36th at the 2020 Farmers Insurance Open. He missed the cut there in 2015 and 2017.
He has a win on the Korn Ferry Tour this season. He’s played in nine PGA Tour events but this will be his first U.S. Open. In fact, this will be his first entry into any of golf’s major championships.
Sucher was the Conference USA Player of the Year at the University of Alabama in 2008 and turned pro in 2009 but he’s battled injuries over the years.
After a second-place finish at the 2019 Travelers, Sucher detailed the financial struggles he had endured. That $633,009 payday accounts for about a third of his career earnings of $1,841,329.
Now, he’s heading to his first major.
