UH’s Soero qualifies
for U.S. Open

The Hawaii junior wins the
sectional qualifier at Kaanapali
North to earn a spot in the major

KAANAPALI >> Let's see ... go to summer school, or play in one of golf's Grand Slam events?

It's an easy choice for University of Hawaii junior Pierre-Henri Soero. He won the sectional qualifier at Kaanapali North yesterday for the U.S. Open, June 13-19 at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

"I guess I'll be e-mailing some (exams)," said Soero, who beat the 11 other finalists with a 5-over 147 in rough conditions. He shot 70 in the morning round and 77 during the wind-blown afternoon. "I told my teachers (in accounting and speech classes) that I had to miss today (for the qualifier on Maui). They don't know it yet, but I'm going to have to miss another week."

Soero's caddy might not make it though. She has summer school classes, too.

"I haven't decided yet," said Pam Tambini, the UH basketball player who is Soero's girlfriend and also carried his bag at the local qualifier he won at Turtle Bay last month.

Tambini said she isn't a golf expert and doesn't assist Soero with things like club selection. But he said since she is also an athlete, she often helps him regain focus if he begins to drift.

"She helps me up here," Soero said, pointing to his head.

Indeed, yesterday's 36-hole odyssey was all about keeping a cool head, especially in the afternoon when the West Maui winds whipped up. Mix in treacherous pin placements on hard greens and a debilitating sun, and none of the contestants challenged par 71 in the post-lunch session.

Soero was the only golfer in the red in the morning, as he fashioned a 1-under 70 to lead playing partner David Havens and local boy Brian Sasada, who both shot 72.

No one could get anything close to consistency going in the afternoon, even Soero, who brought himself back to the pack with two bogies and a double (on the 488-yard, par-5 No. 9) on the front nine.

But he nearly drove the green on the 402-yard No. 14 and birdied. He followed up with a 10-foot putt for birdie at the par-3 15th. Since no one else mounted a serious charge, bogies on 16 and 17 didn't matter; especially when he lagged his 25-foot birdie putt to within 10 inches for par on 18.

"I knew I was back in the mix. I knew I had to not make big mistakes," Soero said.

Sasada finished a stroke back at 148 and is the alternate to the U.S. Open.

"The pin placement was close to what we had for our local qualifier, but there was no wind," Sasada said.

Havens said Soero's afternoon score was not indicative of his ability.

"He hits the ball very hard and has super touch around the greens. Some of his up-and-downs were unbelievable," Havens said. "He had to grind all day and it worked for him. He's a pretty mature golfer for 21. He did what he needed to do."

Soero has played on golf courses all over the world. He was born in New Caledonia and went to high school in Paris. Now he gets to go to North Carolina and play with the best golfers in the world.

Did he think this could happen when he signed up for the first qualifier on Oahu?

"Never. Then, today, it became 12 guys for one spot. Then I thought I can do it. I got myself in contention after the first 18. Then just grind. It was a tough 77. The wind and hard greens, it was dry," he said.

And the pin placements were just a taste of what Soero can plan for at Pinehurst.

"They were tucked behind the bunkers here, and that made it hard," said Regan Lee, who struggled with 76-87--163. "But whoever qualifies for the Open would be happy to play these when they get there."