Nevada’s Stephen Sear punched his ticket to this year’s U.S. Senior Open.
Sear, from Washoe Valley, carded a medalist-earning, bogey freee 4-under 68 at par-72 Rancho Murieta CC in Rancho Murieta. He’d post three of his four birdies on the back-nine.
Earning the second automatic spot was professional David Carr of Marysville (69). Carr beat out pro Kurt Van Hees (1st alternate) and Jeff Hoffman (2nd alternate) in a playoff. Hoffman, of Folsom, won the 2017 NCGA Senior Valley Amateur.
This year’s U.S. Senior Open will tee off June 28-July 1 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.