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It was a Lobo party at the U.S. Open Qualifying event at UNM Championship Golf Course on Monday, as three UNM men’s golfers took the top three spots — Brandon Shong, Bastien Amat, Matthew Watkins — to advance to the June 7 sectional qualifier and one step closer to the U.S. Open (June 17-20 at Torrey Pines).
What’s more, two former Lobos Gustavo Moranto (3-under 69) and Sam Saunders (70) took the two alternate spots. Saunders beat former UNM golfer and Albuquerque Academy alumnus Chandler Smith-Stenson and Cibola standout Aiden Krafft on the first playoff hole.
“That’s crazy,” said Shong, who shot a personal-best 6-under 66 in his U.S. Open Qualifying debut. “We’ve all been playing well. It’s nice to get all of us into the (sectional) qualifier. It feels good.”