Southwest Florida golf: Cape Coral's Connor Arendell wins U.S. Open qualifier in Fort Myers

Connor Arendell is hoping to recapture his 2019 magic again.

The 32-year-old tour pro shot a 4-under-par 68 to earn medalist honors at the U.S. Open local qualifier at Lexington Country Club in Fort Myers on Monday.

Arendell, a Mariner High School graduate, made it all the way through both rounds of qualifying in 2019 to get to the Open at Pebble Beach and missed the cut. There was no qualifying in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, Arendell tied for medalist honors at the local qualifier at The Country Club of Naples, but didn't advance out of sectional qualifying.

Monday didn't start out looking that way for Arendell, though. He double-bogeyed No. 3 — "That was a shocker," he said — and had to get up-and-down for par on the next hole. He steadied himself with birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 to get back to even going to the back nine.

Arendell stayed patient after that, then caught fire coming in, birdieing the final three

holes, all from within 10 feet.

"I was thinking if I could get it to 3 (under) I might have a chance," he said. "I was thinking that was going to be close to the number (to advance)."

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This year's Open is at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, from June 16-19. Local qualifying continues at sites, including May 11 at Pelican Marsh in Naples, through May 23. Almost all of the 36-hole sectional qualifiers are on Monday, June 6, with the one in Florida at Admiral's Cove in Jupiter. Arendell will go to Rockville, Maryland, where he made it to the Open in 2019.

"Going into the next stage it's nice knowing that I've done it before so I can do it and get through." he said. "It's obviously a long day going 36, and I look forward to it and hopefully get back out and qualifying again (for the Open)."

Monday, three others from the East Coast joined Arendell in advancing from the local qualifier. Steven Grant, a 33-year-old mini-tour pro, Chad Bricker, a 35-year-old who caddies and teaches, and 18-year-old amateur Luke Clanton all shot 3-under 69s.

Bricker's and Clanton's scores were unique.

Bricker arrived to the 10th tee 50 seconds late to his tee time, so he was assessed a two-stroke penalty.

"I drove all the way over here from West Palm this morning, and just a stupid mistake," said Bricker, who played collegiately at Penn State.

Bricker didn't let the penalty stop him. He birdied that first hole, No. 10, so technically bogeyed it, then birdied Nos. 11, 13, 15, 16 and 18 to make the turn at 4 under. He shot 1 over on his second nine, then appealed unsuccessfully to have the penalty overturned following the round.

Fortunately, it didn't make a difference.

"I didn't have any expectations," he said. "I just went out and tried to freewheel it. I haven't been playing a whole lot. I just tried to do my best.

"The key was for me to just kind of stay in the moment and not get too far ahead. The better I start playing, I start thinking too far ahead."

Clanton, who tied for third in the Terra Cotta Invitational at Naples National Golf Club on Sunday, was warming up for his round when he felt a twinge in his right knee. He didn't think much of it, but as his round wore on, so did his knee. He shanked one shot early in his round and considered quitting, but decided to keep playing.

"It was probably the hardest round of golf I've ever played in my life," he said. "On the range, I tweaked my knee pretty badly and didn't know if I really wanted to play. It was a struggle to even walk out there. It's going to hit me a little later but it's crazy to even think I made it."

The Florida State commit from Miami Lakes holed out for eagle on No. 18, his ninth hole, to make the turn at 1 under, then added a pair of birdies and seven pars on his second nine.

"The hole-out on 18, my ninth hole, to get to 1 under after nine, I kind of knew that maybe I could just scrap a couple of birdies here and there," he said. "I was punching 2-irons on tees, can't really even hit driver.

"It was ridiculous to even get out there, so to make it and get in the next stage, I'm going to make sure I get full health back before I even get on the golf course again. It's crazy. I'm excited."

Grant, who is from England, made it out of local qualifying for the first time. He plays out of Plantation Preserve and plays on the Minor League Golf Tour and other mini-tours.

"I've come close a few times and it's nice to get the opportunity to go and play in the U.S. Open and it feels good," said Grant, who had four birdies and two bogeys. "Just staying patient out there. I hit a lot of greens, and the greens were rolling pretty good but they're very tricky to read, so just staying patient and putting it close, and taking advantage of those opportunities when I did get it close."

Patrick Williams of Canada, Mackenzie Peyton of Port Charlotte, Jorge Garcia of Venezuela, and Charlie Delsman of Hartland, Wisconsin, and ex-FGCU golfer Van Holmgren all were in a playoff for the two alternate positions.

Former Gulf Coast High golfer Remi Chartier of East Tennessee State, Fort Myers' Zack Holton, and Fort Myers tour pro George McNeill all tied for 10th at even par.

Capan qualifies: FGCU golfer Frankie Capan III shot a 68 and grabbed one of the qualifying spots at Sara Bay Country Club in Sars on Monday.

U.S. Open local qualifier

at Lexington Country Club, Fort Myers

Par-72

Qualifiers

1. Connor Arendell, Fort Myers, 68; 2. Stephen Grant, Gibraltar, 69; 2. Chad Bricker, Waynesboro, Pa., 69; 2. Luke Clanton (a), Miami Lakes, 69

Alternates

*First — Jorge Garcia, Venezuela, 71; *Second — Patrick Williams, Canada, 71

Other scores

71 — Mackenzie Peyton, Port Charlotte; Van Holmgren, Plymouth, Minn.; Charlie Delsman, Hartland, Wisc.

72 — Juan Pablo Arrazola, Fort Lauderdale; Liam Doherty (a), Lutz; Cameron Starr, Jupiter; Remi Chartier (a), Naples; Michael Adamson, Jupiter; Zack Holton, Fort Myers; George McNeill, North Fort Myers

73 — Chad Tracy (a), Bradenton; Michael Peter, Florence, Ala.; Justin Zullin (a), Sarasota

74 — Brandon Suzuki, Deerfield, Ill.; Pierre Viallaneix (a), France/FGCU; Nicholas Solimene (a), Naples; Christian Allen (a), Estero

75 — Nathan Klatt, Port St. Lucie; Steve LeBrun, Royal Palm Beach; Charlie Windfelder (a), Fort Myers

76 — Logan Price, Grand Blanc, Mich.; Hans Risvaer (a), Miami; Anthony Chiarenza, West Palm Beach; Lawrence Largent (a), Kingsport, Tenn.

77 — Chaz Taylor, Fort Myers; Blaze Hogan, Big Rapids, Mich.; Tommy Villani (a), Nokomis; Jack Weller, Flint, Mich.

78 — Garrett McCarraher, Fort Myers; Mike Rasmussen, Prospect, Conn.; Jake Solomon, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Rob Baynard, Fort Myers; Shane Franklin, Ireland; Edgardo Arrazola, Miami

80 — Casey Stallings, Dunedin; Alejandro Ahrens, Spain; Josh McCumber, Palm Beach Gardens

81 — Sean Hourigan (a), Acworth, Ga.

82 — Dalton Payne (a), Estero; Michael Chipolone, Delray Beach; Thomas Bellomo (a), DeLand

83 — Michael Elsen, Plymouth, Minn.; Steven Buzza, England; Adam Di Tullio (a), Canada

85 — Adam Crisp (a), North Fort Myers

86 — Hagan Risner (a), Garden City, Mich.

NC — Matthew Congero, Glen Cove, N.Y.; Will Holmgren (a), Plymouth, Minn.

NS — Anthony Infante, Miami; Zoravar Singh Star (a), Howey-in-the-Hills

DNF — Greg Gionfriddo, Memphis, Tenn.

(a) — amateur

* — won playoff

Greg Hardwig is a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @NDN_Ghardwig, email him at ghardwig@naplesnews.com. Support local journalism with this special subscription offer at https://cm.naplesnews.com/specialoffer/

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Cape Coral's Connor Arendell wins U.S. Open qualifier in Fort Myers