University of Connecticut Athletics
Former Husky Eric Dietrich To Play In U.S. Open
6/10/2019 12:05:00 PM | Men's Golf
UConn Athletic Communications
June 10, 2019
Former UConn men's golf captain Eric Dietrich (Cheshire, Conn.) has earned a coveted berth in the 119th U.S. Open, set to begin Thursday at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.
Dietrich, who played at UConn from 2013-2017, graduating in 2017 with a degree in economics, won medalist honors last weekend at the U.S. Open Sectional held at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla, Wash., to advance to the 156-player U.S. Open field.
After playing practice rounds at Pebble Beach on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, Dietrich will tee off from the first tee on Thursday at 5:42 p.m. (EDT), playing with two international players, Guillermo Pereira of Chile and Brett Drewitt of Australia. The group will be three groups behind the star-studded threesome of Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose. On Friday, Dietrich's group will begin Round 2 on the 10th tee at 11:57 a.m. (EDT).
Dietrich shot an 11-under 67-66=133 at the Wine Valley Sectional, including 11 birdies and an eagle over the 36 holes to win medalist honors by four strokes to clinch one of the three available Open spots.
"I seemed to be in complete control of my game today," Dietrich told reporters afterward. "The ball seemed to go wherever I wanted it to go. I had a few bad shots, but even they ended up in good spots. I'm not usually a scoreboard watcher, but after three consecutive birdies to start my back nine in the afternoon round, I took a look and thought, 'If I can just bring it to the house, I might make it.' "
More than 9,000 golfers started with the dream of getting to Pebble Beach. Dietrich's U.S. Open qualifying journey began with local qualifying at Lyman Orchards Golf Club in Middlefield, Conn., where six spots were available to advance to sectional play. The top two finishers, Chris Houston (Gilford, N.H.) and Dietrich's former UConn teammate, Jimmy Hervol (Hopkinton, Mass.), who graduated last month, grabbed the first two spots and Dietrich was in a four-way tie for the two remaining positions. Dietrich survived the sudden-death playoff to earn his berth in Sectional play.
Because he plays as a professional on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada, Dietrich was in British Columbia and he chose to compete in the Sectional in nearby Walla Walla because it worked with his schedule. Hervol, who competed in the Sectional in Purchase, N.Y., did not advance, but two impressive rounds by Dietrich locked up the dream berth at Pebble Beach.
Dietrich authored one of the finest college careers in the history of UConn golf. His per-round average of 71.91 as a junior n 2015-16 is the third-best in UConn history, behind only Hervol as a senior (70.89) and a junior (71.57). Dietrich's senior season per-round average (72.52) ranks ninth all-time. As a junior, Dietrich ranked 52nd nationally. In career per-round scoring, Dietrich stands seventh all-time at UConn (74.25). He ranks third all-time in birdies (356) and second in eagles (15).
While in college, Dietrich was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference pick, a two-time Division I PING All-Northeast Regional Team pick and a 2016 All-New England selection.
Players Mentioned
