Former and Current Tide Players in Action for U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying

The U.S. Open is next weekend, and although Tiger Woods will not be playing, there will be two Tide players represented in this year's golf professional national championship.

Across the country, in four of the ten sectional U.S. Open Qualifying tournaments, nine current and former Tide golfers put their skills to the test to try and make it to the U.S. Open starting June 12th. Among those were former Tide greats Bud Cauley, Scott Strohmeyer, Dicky Pride, Michael Thompson, Hunter Hamrick and Jason Bohn. These players have made a name for themselves on the PGA Tour over the years, but were unable to qualify.

However, two Bama golfers, who are fresh off a national championship of their own, played well enough to qualify and try to win one of golf's toughest tournaments, along with a former Tide great. Tide freshman Robby Shelton finished tied for 8th place at Colonial Country Club in Memphis, TN, but that was good enough to qualify, as the top 13 spots at the qualifying tournament will be in the field this weekend. Shelton was arguably the best golfer for the Crimson Tide this past season, and he'll now play in the U.S. Open.

Along with Shelton, the talented lefty Cory Whitsett also qualified today, as he was able to win his sectional qualifying tournament at Lakeside Country Club in Houston, TX. In last week's national championship match against Oklahoma State, Whitsett did win his individual match, but in essence, it wasn't necessary for the Tide's victory, as he was in the last group that teed off and Alabama was able to clinch the title moments before he won his match.

The player who did clinch the title for the Tide in 2014, Trey Mullinax, was unable to qualify, as he played in the same tournament as former teammate Robby Shelton. Mullinax's eagle on #17 of Prairie Dunes Country Club at the NCAA National Championship will forever live on in Alabama Golf lore, and his future is still bright as a professional, as he will turn pro on June 29th.

Justin Thomas, one of the stars from the Crimson Tide's first national championship, also qualified for the U.S. Open. Thomas is considered by some as the best Alabama golfer of all time, as he won the National Player of the Year in his final season in Tuscaloosa, as well as winning a school record four tournaments and garnering nine top-10 finishes. He was named to the World Amateur Team in 2012, and after he turned pro, he has only gotten better.