June 14, 2006

Champaign, Ill. - Illini senior-to-be Patrick Nagle is participating in the world of golf's biggest stage this week, the 2006 U.S. Open Championship. Nagle qualified for the Open after winning a local qualifier on May 15 and then earning one of four qualifying spots at the Daly City, Calif. Sectional held on June 5.

The 106th edition of the U.S. Open is being contested at the famed Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. Winged Foot, which is hosting the Open for the fifth time and the first time since 1984, is a Tillinghast-designed course that opened in 1923. It is a par 70 layout that measures 7,264 yards.

Nagle flew with his family from California to New York on Sunday and hit the course on Monday for practice. Practice rounds wrap up today with the Open officially starting on Thursday.

Nagle, one of just nine amateurs in the 156-player field, has been paired with Michael Harris and Andrew Morse for the first two rounds. There will be a cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scores (and ties), and any player within 10 strokes of the leader.

Sell-out crowds in excess of 30,000 are expected each day, which will be quite a change for Nagle, who estimated that the largest crowd he has ever played in front of was 150 at the California State Amateur.

Nagle's group will tee off on Thursday at 7:50 a.m. Central Time (on Hole 10) and Friday at 1:20 p.m. CT (on Hole 1). Fans can follow his progress with live scoring at either the U.S. Open or PGA Tour websites. The television schedule for the U.S. Open is as follows (all times listed are Central):

Thursday & Friday
9 a.m.-1:55 p.m.   ESPN
2-4 p.m.           NBC
4-6 p.m.           ESPN
7-10:30 p.m.       ESPN
Saturday
10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.  NBC
Sunday
11:30 a.m.-6 p.m.  NBC