Men's Golf Southern Conference

Straub Attempting To Qualify For U.S. Open

DAVIDSON, N.C. - Davidson men's golf coach Tim Straub is a step closer to his second U.S. Open. A native of Orchard Park, N.Y., Straub shot an even-par 71 to share medalist honors at a U.S. Open qualifier at Park Country Club, securing one of three qualifying spots among the 39-player field. Park C.C. was one of 100 sites throughout the country hosting the first of two qualifying stages. The United States Golf Association accepted 7,820 entries this year for the Open, which is to be held June 12-15 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club.

Straub, recently named the Southern Conference Golf Coach of the Year, will compete in the sectional qualifying round in Columbus, Ohio, June 2. He is one of about 750 golfers among 12 sites that are competing for 85-90 available spots in the Open.

"I'm excited to go to the sectional," said Straub. "It has been five years since I've had the opportunity to play in it. Anything can happen since you play 36 holes in one day. Anyone has the opportunity to get hot and get into the Open. I've played in Columbus for the sectional one other time back in 1995. I lost in a six-hole playoff that would have earned me a spot in the Open. I want to try and redeem myself when I go back this year."

This is the first sectional qualifier for Straub since 1998. That year, he earned his only berth in the U.S. Open in San Francisco. Straub's professional career includes victories at the Fayetteville Classic in 1995 and again in 1998. He has competed on the Hooters Tour and the PGA Asian Tour as well. While enjoying success on the foreign tour, Straub continued to compete in several American tournaments, notching top-15 finishes at both the Nike Hershey Open and the 1998 Nike Greensboro Open.

Straub earned the Arnold Palmer Golf Scholarship out of high school to attend Wake Forest University and play on the nationally-ranked Demon Deacon squad. He is considered one of western New York's best golfers ever, being the only local player to ever win the USGA Junior Nationals. He also took the New York State Amateur Championship title twice. At Wake Forest, Straub played on the 1986 NCAA National Championship team as well as the 1987 NCAA runner-up team. In his final season, Straub led the Demon Deacons to the ACC Championship title and was named the ACC Individual Champion.

Straub has now been at the helm of the Wildcats for three seasons. Davidson finished in seventh place at the conference tournament this season, the best finish by a Wildcat team since 1998 when the group ended the year in a tie for fourth. The young team has shown strong improvement in each of Straub's three seasons. The 'Cats lose only one senior from the 2003 roster, returning a group of freshmen and sophomores that led the Wildcats in eight of 10 competitions this year.