Hideout pro Harris going to Open

One golfer with ties to Southwest Florida qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday.

Michael Harris, the 2003 Beck's Open champion who has been a winter professional at The Hideout in Naples, tied for second at the 36-hole sectional qualifier at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. That was the same one Michelle Wie played in.

Harris, who has moved to Wisconsin with his fianceé, shot a 68 on the South Course, and a 66 on the North Course to finish three shots back of PGA Tour player Brett Quigley and grab one of the 18 spots in the Open, which is June 15-18 at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Also at Canoe Brook, Daniel Augustine, who works at Naples National Golf Club, played well, shooting even-par 142. He missed getting in a playoff for what would have been the final spot by four shots.

Other area players will try to qualify for the Open today, most of them at Old Memorial Golf Club in Tampa.

John Calabria, at 58 the oldest player in a sectional qualifier, of Fiddler's Creek, amateur Jackie Miller Jr. of Naples, George McNeill of The Forest in south Fort Myers, and Mark Murphy of Ireland will be at Old Memorial. All advanced at the local qualifier at Naples National Golf Club. Nolan Henke of Fort Myers also will be at Old Memorial, which has 59 players going for three spots.

Fort Myers' Justin McCarraher, a former Florida Gulf Coast University golfer, will be at Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta today, where there are 65 golfers for four spots.

Naples' Rocco Mediate and Bonita Springs' Peter Jacobsen already are in the Open. Mediate is in virtue of his tie for sixth at the 2005 Open. Jacobsen qualified because of his 2004 U.S. Senior Open title.