Gee, Van Sickle advance to U.S. Open qualifier

By: Paul Schofield
Monday, May 15, 2023 | 9:50 PM

Oakmont head pro Devin Gee and Pine-Richland grad Mike Van Sickle were among the four golfers to advance to the U.S. Open Sectional from The Club at Nevillewood on Monday.

Van Sickle and Youngstown State assistant golf coach Brandon Pluchinsky shot 3-under-par 69s, and Gee and Cal (Pa.) grad Ryan Smith of Hamburg shot a 2-under 70s. Pluchinsky is a Youngtown State grad and a native of North Lima, Ohio.

The alternates were Pittsburgh native Louis Olsakovsky (70) and Raleigh, N.C., native Wesley Conover.

Van Sickle and Gee become the fifth and sixth golfers from Western Pennsylvania to qualify for the Sectional in late May and early June. The others to qualify were Latrobe native Will Wears, Sewickley natives John F. Aber and Jason Li and Fox Chapel grad Amani D’Ambrosio.

The United States Golf Association’s 123rd U.S. Open has numerous qualifiers currently going on.

The Local Qualifying began April 17 and concludes May 16.

The U.S. Open will be played June 15-18 at Los Angeles Country Club.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.