The gauntlet of U.S. Open final qualifying cannot be understated. Thirty six holes in one day against the best golfers in the world. For Michael Thorbjornsen, it has become second nature. In 2022, Thorbjornsen qualified for a hometown U.S. Open at The Country Club. On that day last year, he had to survive a playoff among eight players for three spots. He made it along with Fran Quinn.
This year, Thorbjornsen arrived at Canoe Brook in Summit, N.J., in hopes of playing the U.S. Open in the same state he plays his college golf. He passed the test again, this time with flying colors. The rising senior at Stanford shot 66-68 on the South and North courses, respectively. He tallied 13 birdies and earned medalist honors.
The Wellesley, Mass., native was joined by Brookline's James Imai at the top of the leaderboard following the first round at 4-under par. But Imai shot 76 in the second round and fell off the pace.