Three Up, Three Down: Pampling pops in, Oberholser likely edged out of Open

Originally Published: May 29, 2008

Comment Email Print Share

By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com
Archive

Just call this limbo time for U.S. Open qualifying.

As of the May 26 deadline, 72 players were already exempt into this year's field at Torrey Pines, which will host the tournament on June 12-15. The other 84 spots are still up for grabs, with sectional qualifiers taking place on Monday.

Three Up, Three Down examines those who beat the deadline as well as those who remain on the outside looking in.

Three Up
Rod Pampling		The Aussie fell short of taking the winner's share last week at Colonial, but he did walk away with this lovely parting gift: A spot in the Open field. With his runner-up finish to Phil Mickelson, the man known as "Pamps" moved from 69th in the Official World Golf Ranking to 47th. Anyone in the top 50 gets a free pass. Then again, it remains to be seen whether he can make the most of it. Pampling owns a T-32 (in 2006) and three other MCs in four career Open starts. In fact, his most memorable major appearance came in 1999, when he led the British Open with an opening-round 71, then followed with an 86 to miss the cut at Carnoustie.
Oliver Wilson		Like Pampling, he fell agonizingly short of victory on Sunday. And like Pampling, he earned a consolation prize. With a playoff loss to Miguel Angel Jimenez at the European Tour's BMW PGA Championship, Wilson climbed to second on the Order of Merit list, which was enough to gain entrance into his first career major championship. Though still searching for his initial pro victory, he owns second-place results in South Africa, Italy, China and England already this season.
Jeff Quinney		With a share of seventh place at Colonial -- right on the heels of a solo third at the Players -- Quinney qualified for the Open field in two ways. He jumped to 49th on the World Ranking and ninth on the money list, just inside the minimums for both requirements. "You know, it popped in my head every once in a while," Quinney said of playing for U.S. Open status on Sunday. "I played great at Torrey Pines both times I played there, so I've got some good thoughts going in there. I played Junior World there. I played great. Just being on the West Coast, I think it's very advantageous toward me."

Three Down
Arron Oberholser		How much are .004 World Ranking points? Not very much ... but they did represent the difference between Open qualification and a week at home for Oberholser, who fell from No. 45 to 51st last week. "It's a goofy system -- we all know that. But it's the system we have," he told the Associated Press. "I probably deserve it. I haven't played but five events because of my hand [injury]. And when I have played, I haven't played well." Oberholser intimated that he won't try to qualify through sectionals because he didn't believe his injury could sustain 36 holes in a single day.
Pat Perez		At Colonial, Perez earned his third top-10 finish this season -- a solo sixth, thanks to a final-round 65 -- enough to bump his 2008 earnings into seven figures and his FedEx Cup ranking into the top 50. His World Ranking, however, remained short of the mark as he's currently 54th in the standings. Don't underestimate his desire to reach the Open; a San Diego native, he won the 1993 Junior World title at Torrey Pines, where Tiger Woods finished fourth, eight strokes back.
Paul Goydos		Three weeks ago at The Players Championship, Goydos earned the PGA Tour's first seven-figure paycheck for a second-place result. That $1,026,000 reward has been offset by only $329,467 in his other 14 appearances, leaving "Sunshine" at 25th on the money list, 15 spots behind those who automatically qualified. Last year, playing in his first U.S. Open since 2002, Goydos shot 78-73 at Oakmont to miss the cut by one stroke.