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Former Northwestern golfer Cole Miller qualifies for the U.S. Open
June 4, 2018
Seven years ago, Cole Miller played with PGA Tour star Bryson DeChambeau in the Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines in San Diego.
Now, the former Northwestern golfer will join the best golfers in the world on a big stage.
Miller, a 22-year-old recent Penn State graduate, shot 5-under-par 70-69–139 Monday in a sectional qualifier at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland to successfully advance to the 118th U.S. Open Championship, to be played June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
Miller, who will turn professional on Tuesday, was one of four golfers in the 53-player field to make the U.S. Open.
Miller became the first Lehigh Valley golfer to advance to the U.S. Open since former Bangor High School (2003) and Moravian College graduate (2007) Brian Bergstol played at Torrey Pines in 2008. Bergstol is the head teaching professional at Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort.
Former PGA Tour pro Jim Booros of Allentown played in four U.S. Open’s: 1980 at Baltusrol, 1983 at Oakmont, 1987 at Olympic, and in 1989 at Oak Hill.
Miller made four birdies, two bogeys, and 12 pars during the morning round. In the afternoon round, Miller had five birdies, two bogeys, and 11 pars.
“I played solid,” Miller said. “It wasn’t my A game, but it was solid golf. I minimized my mistakes, and took advantage of my opportunities. My wedges were the best part of my game.”
A Lynn Township resident, Miller earned four tournament exemptions in late March for the Mackenzie Tour — PGA Tour Canada. He will make his professional debut Thursday in the tour’s Bayview Place DC Bank Open, at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia.
“I am leaving tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. for Canada,” Miller said. ” I just want to continue to play. i took the first week off the Canadian Tour to prepare for this qualifier”.
The region’s dominant amateur golfer from 2012-2017, Miller earned a record five Lehigh Valley Player of the Year awards in six seasons. In late July of 2017, he became the first amateur to win the Lehigh Valley Open.
Miller, the 2016 Pennsylvania Amateur Championship winner, was runner-up in the 2017 event.
Miller won six tournament titles as a four-year starter for the Penn State golf program. He was the 2017 Big Ten Golf Championships runner-up. Miller set a program scoring average record of 72.11 strokes per round.
Miller qualified for the 2015 and 2017 U.S. Amateur, and competed last summer in the 122nd British Amateur at Royal St. George’s and Prince’s. He was extended an invitation by virtue of winning the 2017 NCAA Washington Regional event.
From 2012 to 2016, Miler won a regional-best 13 individual amateur tournament titles. Miller won a record four consecutive Lehigh Valley Medal Play titles from 2013 to 2016.
While at Northwestern Lehigh High School, Miller won the 2011 and 2013 District 11 titles, captured three consecutive Colonial League championships, had two runner-up finishes in the 2012 and 2013 PIAA State Golf Championships, and was an outstanding 117-under-par for 486 holes (4.33 strokes under-par) his junior and senior seasons.
Topnotch Management, with offices in Cleveland, New York, and Stowe, VT, will announce on Tuesday that Miller has signed with their agency.
“We’re excited to be working with him, and I know he’s also pretty excited about joining our team of world class golf and tennis athletes,” said Kyle Ross, the Topnotch Director of Public Relations.
Steve Kluemper, a former Freedom High School (2011) and Centenary College golfer (2015), shot 6-over-par 73-75–148 to miss qualifying for the U.S. Open at a sectional qualifying event at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, New Jersey.
Kluemper, a 25-year-old Bethlehem resident, missed advancing by 11 strokes.
Kluemper won the 2015 Eastern Pennsylvania Amateur, and was the amateur qualifying medalist for the 2017 Lehigh Valley Open. He is a three-time runner-up in the Lehigh Valley Inter-Club Championship, and was a semifinalist in the 2014 Lehigh Valley Amateur.
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