SALISBURY — Salisbury resident Frank Adams III has qualified for the U.S. Open.
Adams, 37, shot 69 for second place in a local qualifier at Pinehurst’s Pinewild Country Club in May and survived 36 holes of sectional qualifying on Monday at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek Course in Roswell, Ga.
There were three qualifying berths at stake at Ansley, with 39 golfers competing.
Adams put himself in great position by shooting 66 in his morning round. He was in the lead at that point, and his second-round 71 in the afternoon allowed him to finish at 137, confortably in third place, three shots ahead of the nearest contender.
Adams’ caddie was his brother Russ, a former infielder for UNC and the Toronto Blue Jays. Russ also will “be on the bag” at Oakmont.
The third Adams brother, Stewart, played linebacker for Catawba.
Adams’ only previous PGA event was the Wells Fargo in 2012.
But he’s enjoyed considerable success on lesser tours. He won eight tournaments on the eGolf Tour and was that tour’s leading money winner in 2013 and 2015.
Adams will compete in the ninth U.S. Open to be held at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. The dates of the championship are June 13-19.
Also qualifying in Roswell along with Adams were Kent Bulle, 27, a native of Kentucky who plays on the Web.com Tour. He shot 69-64 — 133 (11-under) with the aid of an eagle, to lead qualifying.
Ryan Stachler, a rising sophomore at the University of South Carolina, finished second, three shots back of Bulle. He also had an eagle.
Adams beat out, among others, PGA player Robert Castro, who lost in a playoff to James Hahn at this year’s Wells Fargo Championship.