The Yaun family of Liberty has a long and storied history on the golf links of Sullivan County – and beyond. From the humble hometown course of Sullivan County Country Club in Liberty – where many of them got their start – to Grossinger’s Big G Championship Course and beyond, the Yauns have left a lasting imprint on not only the local golfing scene but across the state and nation.

prise when PGA Professional Nick Yaun – a 2001 Liberty Central School alum – played in the finals for the U.S. Open Qualifying on June 2 at Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, NJ.

To get to the finals Yaun had to first place in the top six in a local qualifier, which was held on May 12 at The Connecticut Golf Club in Easton, Connecticut.

“I signed up and clicked my heels,” Nick laughed, not going into the qualifier with the highest of expectations.

Well, he fired a 73 at the qualifier to finish in the top 6 in the 122-player field to move on to Canoe Brook Country Club in New Jersey.

“The final stage of qualifying is 36 holes in a day,”  Nick said earlier this week. “I don’t like playing 36 holes in a day with a cart, much less walking.”

Nicknamed “The Longest Day in Golf,” the June 2 qualifier gives the finalists an opportunity to win the big prize – an invite to the U.S. Open, one of the four PGA Major Championships.

But for Yaun, who is the Head Professional at Century Country Club in Harrison, NY, it felt great just to make it to the finals – and compete with so many exceptional amateur and pro golfers for a chance to play in the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.

“At 42, I was the fourth oldest player in the field,” he said. “There were a lot of Division 1 players in the field and some tour professionals, too.”

Nick’s preparation to get ready for the qualifier was not exactly textbook.

“I gave four or five golf lessons at my home course on Sunday, the day before the round,” the Head Pro said. “I also had never played the course before.”

But never one to back down, Nick showed up on June 2 ready to play.

Nick did have some strong support as his mom and dad – Tim and Cindy Yaun of Liberty – as well as friends and members from Century Country Club were behind the ropes watching every shot.

“I shot a 76 in the morning, having to take a two-stroke penalty on number 4 because I hit the wrong ball,” Nick lamented.

But he came back strong on the second 18, with five birdies on the first eight holes to move up the leaderboard fast, climbing to within two strokes of qualifying for the open.

He ended the afternoon round with an even par 70, 146 total score, to finish in the top half of the field and just 9 strokes from qualifying.

Nick said his caddy, Mike Imbreali, really helped him have a great day.

“It was phenomenal,” he said of the experience. 

And Nick said he will try it again next year as the finals will be played, where else, but at his home course, Century Country Club, where he is Head Professional.

How does qualifying for the U.S. Open work?

The U.S. Open Championship represents the essence of fairness and equality in professional sports.

 Any professional or amateur golfer with a 0.4 handicap index or lower can sign up to compete for a spot at the U.S. Open, which results in wide-ranging storylines across Final Qualifying fields. 

Final qualifying in the United States took place at 10 sites, in the states of California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio (Columbus & Springfield), Washington and Texas. 

The USGA accepted 10,202 entries by the deadline of April 9, the highest total in championship history.

This year’s 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club is set for this weekend – June 12-15 – and notables who punched their ticket to Oakmont via 36-hole Final Qualifying include established TOUR pros like Erik van Rooyen and Matt Wallace, rising stars in Preston Summerhays and Jackson Buchanan, and even a dentist in Matt Vogt (who caddied at Oakmont in his younger years).

While several players qualified for the U.S. Open via various exemption categories, others chased a spot at Oakmont via two stages of qualifying. Local Qualifying (18 holes) was contested across 110 sites in late April and early May. 

Players who advanced from the local stage – like Nick Yaun – competed at Final Qualifying (36 holes in one day), which was contested across May 19 (three sites) and June 2 (10 sites). Some players were directly exempt into Final Qualifying via various exemption categories.