LA JOLLA, Calif. – When the world’s best begin play at the 121st U.S. Open this week at Torrey Pines, two FSGA champions will be among them. Three-time FJT winner and the 2019 Amateur Match Play champion, Andrew Kozan will tee it up in his first U.S. Open, after advancing through final qualifying at The Bear's Club. Joining Kozan will be U.S. Amateur champion and fellow FJT alum, Tyler Strafaci.
This year, there were 108 local qualifying sites held across the United States. In total, there were 8,680 competitors all vying for a chance to play in the U.S. Open. Among them was Florida native, Kozan, who will be teeing it up with the best players in the world at Torrey Pines after shooting 4-under par in the final qualifier at The Bear’s Club.
Kozan was able to earn a spot at Torrey after competing through a grueling day of thirty-six holes. The Auburn graduate put together rounds of 70-70 to finish the day at 4-under 140. In the morning round, he began with an even-par front nine. He closed out the morning with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th to post a first-round 70.
The Florida Match Play champion got off to a steady start in the final round, birdieing the 10th hole. He birdied the 17th and 18th again to make the turn at 2-under. He ran into trouble on the sixth, but quickly turned it around with a birdie on the eighth. He rolled in a short par putt to punch his ticket to his first U.S. Open. Kozan was the only amateur to advance from The Bear’s Club.
“It’s tough to describe in words right now," Kozan said after qualifying. "I’ve got my closest friends and family out here today. It’s been really special. I’ve been close a few times in the past but to finally get it done today was really special having everyone here."
Kozan is a three-time winner on the Florida Junior Tour and won the Tour Championship back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014. He is a recent graduate of Auburn University, where he earned Second Team All-SEC honors and PING All-Southeast Region honors on the Men’s Golf Team.
Strafaci will compete in his first U.S. Open as a professional, after turning pro in May days after being a part of the winning United State team at the 40th Walker Cup. The Davie native is a five-time FJT winner and a past Florida Boys’ Junior and Florida Junior Match Play champion. He raised the trophy at the 120th U.S. Amateur Championship in 2020 and was named the 2020 FSGA Men’s Amateur Player of the Year.
Along with Kozan and Strafaci, a number of other FJT alums will be in the field at Torrey Pines: Daniel Berger, Luis Gagne and Brooks Koepka (two-time U.S. Open champion).
The stage is set for the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and it is shaping up to a fantastic major championship week. The U.S. Open is ready to return to La Jolla, Calif. for the first time since 2008, when Tiger Woods won the championship on a broken leg. He fended off Rocco Mediate in an epic 18-hole Monday playoff that was one for the ages.
Coverage of this year's championship will begin on Thursday morning as the opening round kicks off.
