U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier
Location: O.S.U. Scarlet GC & Brookside CC (Columbus, OH) (OSU Scarlet (Par=72; Course Rating=76.1; Slope=142; Yards=7455), Brookside (Par=72; Slope=137; Course Rating=73.9; Yards=6969))
| R1 | R2 | Score | POS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70(-1) | 74(+2) | 144(+1) | t53/140 MC |
Pitzen played with Pat Perez, who shot 138, and qualified. Perez and Pitzen were neck and neck with nine holes to play at Brookside CC. Perez ringed off three birdies and Pitzen made three bogeys to drop off the pace. Pitzen played the Scarlet Course at O.S.U. during the Ohio High School State Championships and got redemption on Jack's redesigned model despite not being able to take advantage of all his birdie attempts with a 1-under-par 70. Pitzen ended 5-strokes off qualifying pace for the '08 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in Perez's hometown of San Diego, California. Pitzen played the U.S. Amateur Pub Links qualifier in 1998.
Pitzen encountered former O.S.U. coach Jim Brown as well as played a practice hole with Ben Crane. Pitzen hit balls Monday morning next to Rocco Mediate, who later went head to head with Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines about two weeks later at Torrey Pines. Mediate had a stogey in his mouth and was telling jokes at 7 a.m. Crane offered encouragment. Couples withdrew by not turning his card in at the end at Brookside.
