Live Oak graduate Erick Justesen withdrew after 17 holes and did not advance in Tuesday’s U.S. Open local qualifier at Dragon Ridge Golf Club in Henderson, Nev.
Justesen, 27, was 1-over and trying to make a playoff on the final hole when he hit a drive out of bounds and lost his ball. No longer in contention for a sectional berth, Justesen withdrew.
“It was a bit windy, and I haven’t been hitting it good the past four weeks,” he said Wednesday. “When the wind’s blowing, and you’re not hitting well, it magnifies everything.”
Justesen, a regular on the Hooter’s, Canadian and Nationwide tours, was trying for his fifth PGA Tour cut and second appearance in the U.S. Open, set for June 14-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.
“It is disappointing,” said Justesen, who’s battled tendinitis recently. “I started out the year strong, putting myself in contention a lot. People don’t realize how strenuous it is on your body with practice day in and day out. My body’s feeling the effects.”
