Erik Van Rooyen will need a caddie to help him at the 3M Open, which begins on Thursday, in Blaine, Minnesota. Alex Gaugert booked a place in the 156-man tournament on Monday. Gaugert is listed as a local resident from Edina. He shot a 6-under 65 and won a 4-for-3 play-off to make his first PGA Tour appearance.
Van Rooyen was a South African and a Wisconsin native. They were teammates in the University of Minnesota’s golf team. Gaugert won the Wisconsin State Amateur in 2014 and helped his team win the Big Ten Conference Championship. He became a pro, played on mini tours and has been Van Rooyen’s bagman for the last four years. Austin Rodgers, his brother who caddies Patrick Rodgers, and was on the bag at the Barracuda Championship, Sunday, when he lost the playoff to Akshay Bhattia, could fill in.
Alex Gaugert likes to scratch the competitive itch every now and then.
Gary D’Amato, a member of the PGA of America in 2022, said: “I’m a PGA of America so I’ll be playing in some small events here and there.” “You learn so much being here, about what it takes to get things done and what is really required.”
Gaugert, 30 years old, got the job done despite a bogey at the par-5 second. He started with three birdies and then added a birdie on No. Then, he closed the round with an eagle on the par-5 16th hole and a birdie on 17. This was his third deuce of the day.
Van Rooyen wrote, “What a stud. Anyone want to loop?
My caddie @lil_gaugs has just qualified for the @3MOpen. What a STUD! Anyone want to loop next week? @PGATOUR
Erik van Rooyen July 25, 2020
Gaugert was not the only qualifier who was pleased to have made it through. Daniel Gale from Georgia also earned his first Tour appearance. He blazed through the back nine with 8-under 28. This included six birdies over a stretch of seven holes and an eagle on the par-4 18 .
A course-record 60 with a DUNK on 18 at the @3MOpen Monday Qualifier from @DanielGale96
pic.twitter.com/STI913LYeU
PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR July 24, 2020
Ryan French, Monday Q Info, posted on Facebook that Noah Hofman played in the Colorado Open Sunday, and his flight was delayed that evening. He was on a Monday flight to Minnesota for the qualifier that landed at 9:05 am, then drove 40 minutes to get there and had a 11:30 am tee-time. He’s now in the field to make his PGA Tour debut.
Kaito Onishi is the fourth qualifier, and will make his fourth career PGA Tour start this season. He missed the cut at two other tournaments, including the John Deere Classic in early October.
