Shelton leads qualifiers

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: May 11, 2017

Former Alabama player and PGA Tour veteran shoots 3-under for medalist in U.S. Open qualifier, Skinns gets final spot in playoff

Robby Shelton, who made the cut at last week’s Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA Tour, was medalist at Wednesday’s U.S. Open local qualifier. (Photos by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)

By East Alabama Sports Today

SILVER LAKES – Robby Shelton birdied the first three holes on his back nine and shot 3-under-par 69 to win medalist honors in local qualifying for the U.S. Open Wednesday at Silver Lakes.

Shelton, the former Alabama golf who made the cut in his last two PGA Tour starts (Wells Fargo, Texas Open), made a birdie and a bogey on the Mindbreaker 9 to turn in even par, then birdied 1, 2 and 3 on the Heartbreaker 9.

Georgia freshman Lee McCoy of Jupiter, Fla.; Samuel Love of Trussville; Michael Peter of Fort Myers, Fla,; and David Skinns of England were the other qualifiers.

Skinns earned the final spot through a four-for-one playoff with a birdie on the fourth playoff hole. Skinns, first alternate Reagan Harrell of Guntersville, second alternate John Tucker of Cullman and William Walker of Tuscaloosa all shot 72 in regulation.

Lance Evans of Oxford was the low Calhoun County player in the field. The amateur from Oxford shot 78. Logan Archer of Oxford shot 79 and Layton Bussey of Anniston shot 85.

“I played really good,” Evans said. “I had two bad holes and missed about three putts inside six feet. Other than that it was pretty good.”

Lance Evans — and caddy Ott Chandler — watches his drive at Wednesday’s U.S. Open qualifier. Evans wasn’t moving on, but he did shoot the best round of any Calhoun County player in the field.

U.S. OPEN LOCAL QUALIFYING
At Silver Lakes
Qualifiers
Robert Shelton IV, Wilmer 36-33—69
Lee McCoy, Jupiter, Fla. 35-35—70
Samuel Love, Trussville 37-34—71
Michael Peter, Fort Myers, Fla. 36-35—71
David Skinns, England 35-37—72
x-(a) Reagan Harrell, Guntersville 36-36—72
y-Jacob Tucker, Cullman 36-36—72
Others
(a) Lance Evans, Oxford 37-41—78
(a) Logan Archer, Oxford 41-38—79
(a) Layton Bussey, Anniston 44-41—85
x-first alternate
y-second alternate
(a)-amateur

ACES IN THE CROWD: Ken McElroy and Glenn Hurd scored holes-in-one on local courses Wednesday.

McElroy scored his first-ever ace on Pine Hill Country Club’s par-4 17th from 237 yards with a 4-wood. Hurd aced the par-3 fifth at Anniston Country Club.