One step closer to the Open

NEWPORT BEACH ? Ninety golfers converged on Newport Beach Country Club to chase a dream. Six emerged Wednesday with the dream still intact.

Estancia High graduate John Burckle birdied the second playoff hole to become the final player to advance out of local qualifying for the U.S. Open. He joined five other golfers as qualifiers for next month’s sectional tournament at Lake Merced Golf and Country Club in Daly City.

Newport Beach’s Stan Watkins, Murrieta’s Josh Anderson, Pelican Hill Golf Club member Jamie Estrada, Huntington Beach’s Tom Kanazawa and Tustin’s Doug Fortner each shot three-under-par 68 to secure their spots.

Burckle’s two-under-par 69 after 18 holes tied him with Ladera Ranch’s Justin Boatman, Huntington Beach’s Robert Caton, Newport Beach’s Gavon Reid, Dana Point’s Robert Nickell Jr. and San Clemente’s Mark Warman.

After everyone shot for par on the first playoff hole ? the 437-yard par-4 16th ? Burckle pulled out a 6-iron and hit his drive within six feet of the cup on the par-3, 185-yard 17th hole, then nailed his birdie putt to claim the last qualifying spot.

Burckle, who grew up in Costa Mesa and played golf at Estancia High and Long Beach State, turned professional in 1984. He’s currently a golf instructor at Saddleback College. Burckle, 45, has advanced out of the U.S. Open local qualifying tournament at Newport Beach Country Club in three of the last five years.

“Local knowledge, the fact that I grew up playing here helps,” Burckle said.

Burckle, who played in the U.S. Open in 1989, said he’s a better golfer now than he was as a younger man.

“I’m playing better now than I was 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m better at 45 than I was at 25.”

Among the other qualifiers was Watkins, 31, who resides in Newport Beach and teaches at the Golf Lab in Costa Mesa. Watkins, who played golf at Claremont-McKenna College and turned pro five years ago, carded five birdies.

“The key was my putting, because I didn’t hit it very well today,” Watkins said. “Normally, the putting is the hardest thing here, but the greens were really good today.”

The other Newport-Mesa area golfers who competed on Wednesday included Costa Mesa’s Geoff Cochrane (73), Newport Coast’s Amit Chopra (74), Costa Mesa’s Sean Collins (74), Newport Coast’s Richard Johnson (76), Corona del Mar’s Brian Lindley (77), Newport Beach’s Eric Woods (77), Costa Mesa’s Eric Vallely (78) and Corona del Mar’s Gavin Owen (81).

Collins, 39, is the men’s golf coach at Orange Coast College. He qualified for the sectionals out of Newport Beach Country Club five years ago. He said he played well on Tuesday with the exception of losing two strokes after hitting the wrong ball out of the rough.

“I’m just out here to get out from behind the desk,” said Collins, who also works at the Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club. “And I’ve got to stay competitive to give my players [at OCC] a push.”

Collins then admitted the real reason why he and the other 89 players were there Wednesday.

“It’s the dream of playing in the U.S. Open,” he said. “That’s why I keep coming out.”

The U.S. Open will be played June 15-18 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOTCosta Mesa’s Sean Collins tracks the path of his approach shot.dpt.18-golf-1-CPhotoInfoE21R2IGH20060518izfdhdnc(LA)dpt.18-golf-4-CPhotoInfoE21R2IML20060518izfdiznc(LA)dpt.18-golf-5-CPhotoInfoE21R2IF220060518izfdjkncPHOTOS BY MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Above, Coto de Caza’s Jason Bittick hits out of the bunker during U.S. Open qualifying Wednesday. Below left, Corona del Mar’s Gavin Owen watches his tee shot. Below right, Costa Mesa’s Geoff Cochrane reads the green.dpt.18-golf-2-CPhotoInfoE21R2IM320060518izfdhtncPHOTOS BY MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Above, Coto de Caza’s Jason Bittick hits out of the bunker during U.S. Open qualifying Wednesday. Below left, Corona del Mar’s Gavin Owen watches his tee shot. Below right, Costa Mesa’s Geoff Cochrane reads the green.