Darien, Connecticut (May 1, 2025) – On a spectacular day at Woodway Country Club five players advanced through 125th U.S. Open Local Qualifying. Leading the way at 4 under was longtime English pro Robert Dinwiddie. One shot further back in a tie for second at 3 under were Sean Quinlivan and Robby Rosati with JD Carrabino and Paul Pastore rounding out the qualifying group in a tie for fourth at 1 over.
Dinwiddie, who is seeking his third appearance in the U.S. Open, came out of the gates hot, birdieing four of his first seven holes on his way to a 4 under 31 front nine.
“I got off to a good start,” said the 42-year-old Dinwiddie. “I hit some good shots early to 15 feet or so on some tough holes and made those putts, so I got under-par early which was nice. I did hit some loose shots here and there but generally got away with it and was able to get the ball back in play.”
One such instance of getting the ball back in play came on the 391-yard par-4 10th hole. The Englishman elected to play conservatively off the tee but his iron missed the fairway. Facing a challenging second shot from the rough, Dinwiddie pulled his 8 iron but as fortune would have it the ball had eyes for the flagstick and instead of bounding into the rough it clanged off the flagstick coming to rest four feet away from the cup.
“The ball was going to run past the hole into a tricky lie but it hit the pin and stopped at four feet,” said Dinwiddie who finished T36 at the 2008 U.S. Open. “If the ball didn’t hit the flag it could have rolled off the green and led to bogey but instead I made a birdie.”
Now, 5 under Dinwiddie, a winner of three Challenge Tour events, got as low as 6 under with a birdie on No. 13 before giving two shots back with bogeys on the final two holes.
However, despite the late falter Dinwiddie is now 36 holes away from reaching his first U.S. Open since 2011 and first major since 2022 when he was T53 at The Open Championship.
“I hadn’t seen the course before playing it today,” explained Dinwiddie. “I took a local caddie named Jake and he guided me around and kept me out of trouble. I hit my first 16 greens in regulation. This is my second straight year coming to the States for U.S. Open Local Qualifying. I love the States. I’ve spent time over here so it was a good excuse to spend five days. Now I hope I get Walton Heath Golf Club in England for Final Qualifying.”
One shot behind Dinwiddie in a tie for second at 3 under were Sean Quinlivan (Southampton, NY) and Robby Rosati (Stratford, CT).
Quinlivan, a native of Ireland and the current head professional of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, earned his way through with a steady round of golf that featured four birdies and one bogey.
For Quinlivan, just the fourth head pro in the history of Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, all his birdies came in a six hole stretch between Nos. 6-11.
The low amateur of the day was Robby Rosati. A semifinalist at the 2022 Borck Jr. also contested at Woodway CC, Rosati came on strong late.
1 over after eight holes, the Maryland commit moved to even-par with a birdie on the par-3 ninth. Still at level par after 12 holes, Rosati saved his best golf for last, playing the final six holes in 3 under to punch his ticket to the next stage.
“Today I tried to make a lot of pars and be patient and let birdies come when they did,” Robby Rosati said. “I knew the rough would be thick and the greens would be fast, so I really tried to just hit the fairway and the middle of the green. I did that very well and I started to see some putts go in on the back nine.”
Rosati will now advance to U.S. Open Final Qualifying for the first time.
“I’m really looking forward to U.S. Open Final Qualifying,” said Rosati a recent Connecticut Junior team member. “I know it will be a great test and great experience. There will be so many great players there and it will be really cool to be able to compete against them.”
The final two spots were earned by JD Carrabino (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) and Paul Pastore (Stamford, CT), both of whom finished tied for fourth at 1 over.
Carrabino had a seesaw day but in the end his three birdie, four bogey round was enough to get the job done.
Paul Pastore, the 2023 Massachusetts Open winner, struggled out of the gates playing the first six holes in 3 over before finding his groove with birdies on Nos. 7, 8, and 11 to return to even-par. With the ship righted Pastore played the final seven holes in 1 over and did just enough to secure his spot in final qualifying.
Five players finished 2 over and a playoff was required to find the two alternates. In the playoff Mike Ballo, Jr. earned the first alternate spot while amateur Thomas Labbe took the second spot.
Final qualifying for the 125th U.S. Open will take place between May 19 and June 2. The U.S. Open will be contested from June 12-15 at Oakmont Country Club.
Hero Image: Medalist Robert Dinwiddie
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
