Richard Werenski

Leading the charge with a medalist score of 3-under par 68 was amateur Richy Werenski (The Orchards GC). He will be joined at next month's U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying by professionals Rick Leal (West Springfield, MA), who posted a 1-under par 70 and Matthew Adams (Newton Center, MA) and Daniel Dwyer (Gloucester, MA) who came through with even par 71s.

Werenski, who is coming off another spectacular season at Georgia Tech, made birdie on the 1st, 4th and 6th holes at Twin Hills Country Club and then made 12 straight pars. It marks the second straight year that Werenski has advanced to U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying.

Qualifying News & Notes

* Leal, a longtime fixture in Western Massachusetts golf circles, made the turn at 1-over par 36 but made three birdies (on the 10th, 14th and 17th holes) and played 2-under par golf through his final holes to finish in second place and secure a spot.

* Dwyer is an assistant golf professional at Ipswich Country Club who was scheduled to compete in Massachusetts Open Qualifying on June 5 at Berkshire Hills Country Club.

* Finishing as first alternate was Andy Miller (Boston, MA), the son of former PGA Tour player and current NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller. Miller was a four-time All-American at Brigham Young University who captured one title on the Buy.com Tour (now the Nationwide Tour) before earning his PGA Tour card in 2003 and making 13 out of 25 cuts. He then - at the age of 25 - made the decision to step away from golf and spent the next two years in Mexico serving a Mormon mission. He currently lives in Boston and is pursuing a degree at the Boston School of Architecture.

* On April 30, amateur Josh Biren (Boston, MA) was one of three competitors to fire a 1-under par 69 and qualify at a 2012 U.S. Open Local Qualifier held at Montaup Country Club (RI). Biren is a Lincoln-Sudbury High School and then Trinity College graduate who now works as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs.

* A total of 13 U.S. Open Sectional Qualifiers will be held this year. Nearly all (except those being held abroad) will be held on June 4 at sites across the country.