Dean Wilson is an alternate while Parker McLachlin failed to gain one of 17 berths in the U.S. Open sectional qualifying yesterday at Columbus, Ohio.

The two Hawai'i products were playing in one of 13 36-hole qualifiers around the country. This qualifier at Brookside and The Lakes courses featured 121 players. The field included 61 PGA Tour players, with many coming from last week's Memorial Tournament in hopes of playing at Bethpage Black in two weeks.

Another Hawai'i product, Jim Seki, was trying to earn one of four spots among 80 golfers in the California qualifier. Seki, who won a local qualifier here, shot 78-79 and failed to advance.

Wilson, a Castle High alum and former Kane'ohe resident, was one of nine golfers tied for the final spot after shooting 69-67—136. He, James Nitties and John Senden birdied the first playoff hole to advance. On the second playoff hole, Nitties birdied to qualify and Senden parred to earn first-alternate status. Wilson bogeyed and is second alternate.

McLachlin shot 72-73—145 and failed to advance along with Davis Love III and Mercedes-Benz champion Daniel Chopra, who both shot 138.

Two amateurs were among the 17 players grabbing spots, including co-medalist Kyle Stanley, a Clemson golfer who was second in the NCAA last week. Stanley had 10 birdies and no bogeys in an opening-round 62 at The Lakes. He finished at 12-under 132 to share medalist honors with pro George McNeil.

David Duval is returning to the U.S. Open after rounds of 66 and 69, while New Zealand's Danny Lee (69-73) missed a shot at earning the spot he surrendered.

Duval, absent from the last two Opens, hasn't won since the 2001 British Open. Lee had earned an automatic U.S. Open berth last summer by becoming the youngest player to win the U.S. Amateur. But when he turned pro this spring, he was forced to give up his spot.

Among notables who failed to qualify were two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal, two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, Rocco Mediate, John Daly and NCAA medalist Matt Hill.

Daly was competing in America for the first time since the PGA Tour lifted his six-month suspension.

He managed only four birdies over 36 holes of a U.S. Open qualifier at Germantown, Tenn.

Daly shot 1-over 143 and didn't come close to getting one of 13 spots available in Tennessee.

"My feet are tired," Daly said after politely declining an interview with a Memphis TV station.

Daly attracted a crowd of nearly 300 people, who followed him down the fairway, waiting for something to cheer. There were no big numbers, except for a double bogey when his tee shot sliced onto the road, and there were not enough birdies.

The tour suspended Daly for a series of off-course incidents that led to the wrong kind of publicity, particularly a photo of Daly from a North Carolina jail after he spent the night to get sober.

WOODS SIGHTING

TIGER GETS IN 18 HOLES AT BLACK COURSE

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Tiger Woods returned to the Black Course at Bethpage yesterday, tuning up in preparation for his U.S. Open title defense.

Woods made a detour on his way home from winning the Memorial in Ohio a day earlier, playing 18 holes with swing coach Hank Haney.

Newsday reported that several dozen golfers who planned to play at Bethpage State Park's four other courses spied the world's No. 1 player and immediately pulled out cell-phone cameras.

Woods planned to return home to Florida later yesterday and practice on his home course at Isleworth leading to the Open, which is June 18-21.

Woods won last year's Open at Torrey Pines in a 19-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate. He won the U.S. Open in 2002, the last time it was held at Bethpage Black, and was the only player to finish under par.

The Black Course has been lengthened to 7,426 yards since. It features graduated rough that should allow players to reach the green instead of hacking out to the fairway.