COLUMBUS, Ohio – Each morning, Dan Putnam awakes and follows the well-worn path from his house in University Place, Wash., and around the former gravel pit and back home. All in, it’s a 4 1/2-mile journey.
In two weeks, the same journey along the shores of the Puget Sound will be a much more meaningful stroll.
On Monday at the U.S. Open sectional qualifying site in Columbus, Putnam’s son, PGA Tour player Michael, completed a circular journey of his own, scorching the course at the Lakes Golf & Country Club with an 8-under 64 for a share of medalist honors and a spot in the field at Chambers Bay, the links-like layout that frames those daily walks for Dan Putnam.