Qualifying event

Last week 77 golfers from eight states and Canada participated in an U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club.

The field of golfers, which included several from Southeast Missouri, were vying to finish in the top three positions to qualify for the U.S. Amateur taking place Aug. 22 to 28 at Erin Hills, a public course in Wisconsin.

Remarkably the three qualifiers for the U.S. Amateur had ties to the Show Me State. Collegiate golfers Justin Bryant and T.J. Vogel captured the top two spots with Richard "Skip" Berkmeyer picking up the final qualifying spot. Bryant and Berkmeyer are from St. Louis -- though Bryant attends Wake Forest -- and Vogel, who is from Hollywood, Fla., has family connections in Southeast Missouri and St. Louis.

This is not the first qualifying event to take place at Dalhousie. In recent years the course has played host to the American Junior Golf Association's Rolex Tournament of Champions -- an event which features some of the best young U.S. and international golfers.

Congratulations to the qualifying golfers. We wish you the best in Wisconsin. We also congratulate the folks at Dalhousie for once again hosting an impressive event with national ties.