Por momentos estuvo cerca, pero finalmente el granadino Scott William Fernández no logró superar las denominadas Sectional Qualifying, jornada conocida en EE.UU. como «El día más largo en el Golf».
El estudiante de Iowa State University acudía al Lakeside Country Club de Houston, Texas con la esperanza de obtener una de las tres plazas que daban el pase al US Open 2014. Fernández acabó al par del campo empatado en el puesto 18º lastrado por un doblebogey y un bogey cometido en los nueve primeros hoyos de la primera ronda.
Las plazas fueron para tres tejanos, el amateur Cory Whitsett (-12), Bobby Gates (-7) y Anthony Brousard (-5). En total fueron cerca de 800 jugadores repartidos en diez recorridos diferentes los que pelearon por 56 puestos para el segundo torneo del Grand Slam de la temporada a disputar en Pinehurst 2 entre el 12 y el 15 de junio.
Resultados completos Sectional Qualifying (Fuente: pga.com):
Brookside Golf & Country Club / Scioto Country Club
Columbus, Ohio (16 qualify)
1. Justin Leonard, Dallas, Texas -5
1. Seung-yul Noh, Korea, -5
1. Justin Thomas, Goshen, Ky. -5
4. Rod Pampling, Australia -4
4. Bo Van Pelt, Jenks, Okla. -4
4. Mark Wilson, Elmhurst, Ill. -4
4. Paul Casey, England -4
4. Luke Guthrie, Jacksonville, Fla. -4
9. Kevin Tway, Edmond, Okla. -3
9. Rod Allenby, Australia -3
9. Aaron Baddeley, Australia -3
9. Hyung Sung Kim, Korea -3
9. Brett Stegmaier, Vero Beach, Fla. -3
14. Ken Duke, Palm City, Fla. -2
14. Ryan Blaum, Champions Gate, Fla. -2
14. Erik Compton, Coral Gables, Fla. -2
Alternates:
1. Cameron Tringale, Laguna Niguel, Calif. -2
2. Michael Putnam, University Place, Wash. -2
Springfield Country Club
Springfield, Ohio (3 qualify)
1. Brian Stuard, Jackson, Mich. -11
2. a-Will Grimmer, Cincinnati, Ohio -5
3. Chris Thompson, Lawrence, Kan. -4
Alternate:
1. a-Andrew Dorn, West Chester, Ohio -3
Old Oaks Country Club / Century Country Club
Purchase, N.Y. (4 qualify)
1. Fran Quinn, Holden, Mass. -3
1. Rob Oppenheim, Orlando, Fla. +3
3. James Renner, Orlando, Fla. -2
4. Matthew Dobyns, Lake Success, N.Y. E
Alternates:
1. a-Cameron Wilson, Rowayton, Conn. +1
2. Jamie Lovemark, Scottsdale, Ariz. +1
Quail Valley Golf Club
Vero Beach, Fla. (4 qualify)
1. Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla. -10
2. Nicolas Lindheim, Satellite Beach, Fla. -7
3. Andres Echavarria, Colombia -3
4. Aron Price, Australia -2
Alternates:
1. a-Sam Horsfield, England -1
2. Sebastian Maclean, Bolivia -1
Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course)
Roswell, Ga. (2 qualify)
1. Henrik Norlander, Augusta, Ga. -4
2. a-Smylie Kaufman, Vestavia, Ala. -2
Alternates:
1. a-Trevor Cone, Concord, N.C. -1
2. Michael Hebert, Auburn, Ala. Even
Woodmont Country Club (North Course)
Rockville, Md. (4 qualify)
1. Chad Collins, Cloverdale, Ind. -6
2. Billy Hurley III, Annapolis, Md. -3
2. Donald Constable, Excelsior, Minn. -3
2. Nicholas Mason, Denver, Colo. -3
Alternates:
1. John Mallinger, Long Beach, Calif. -1
2. James Erkenbeck, San Diego, Calif. -1
Colonial Country Club
Memphis, Tenn. (13 qualify)
1. Hudson Swafford, St. Simons Island, Ga. -10
2. J.B. Holmes, Campbellsville, Ky. -9
3. Kevin Kisner, Aiken, S.C. -8
3. Joe Ogilvie, Austin, Texas -8
3. David Gossett, Bee Cave, Texas -8
3. David Toms, Shreveport, La. -8
3. Jeff Maggert, The Woodlands, Texas -8
8. Cody Gribble, Dallas, Texas -7
8. a-Robby Shelton, Wilmer, Ala. -7
8. Jason Millard, Murfreesboro, Tenn. -7
8. Casey Wittenberg, Memphis, Tenn. -7
12. Brady Watt, Australia -6
12. a-Hunter Stewart, Lexington, Ky. -6
Alternates:
1. Scott Langley, Jupiter, Fla. -6
2. a-Sam Love, Trussville, Ala. -6
Lakeside Country Club
Houston, Texas (3 qualify)
1. a-Cory Whitsett, Houston, Texas -12
2. Bobby Gates, Magnolia, Texas -7
3. Anthony Broussard, Addison, Texas -5
Alternates:
1. William Kropp, Edmond, Okla. -5
2. Bronson Burgoon, The Woodlands, Texas -4
Emerald Valley Golf Course
Creswell, Oregon (2 qualify)
1. Zac Blair, St. George, Utah -7
2. Clayton Rask, Otsego, Minn. -3
Lake Merced Golf Club / Olympic Club (Ocean Course)
Daly City, Calif.
1. Alex Cejka, Las Vegas, Nev. -11
2. Steven Alker, New Zealand -8
3. a-Maverick McNealy, Portola Valley, Calif. -7
4. Kevin Sutherland, Sacramento, Calif. -6
4. a-Brian Campbell, Irvine, Calif. -6
Alternate:
1. Craig Barlow, Henderson, Nev. -5
