On the final day of the U.S. Open qualifying stage last week at the Club at Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, Florida, junior Fred Biondi played the last grueling 36 holes with magic. He managed the pressure, finishing the tournament with 139 strokes (-3).
After leading the Gators men’s golf team to an appearance in match play at the Southeastern Conference Tournament and contributing to the two consecutive NCAA Championship appearances, Biondi will play in his first U.S. Open after qualifying ahead of PGA star Rickie Fowler by one stroke.
The São Paulo, Brazil, native is the only amateur out of the four who qualified for the U.S. Open June 7;.Biondi is the lone Brazilian in this year's U.S. Open.
The 10th-ranked collegiate player in the nation, according to Golfstat, continues what has been a breakout year for the Brazilian. Biondi was named a PING First Team All-American, All-SEC First Team, a Haskins Award Finalist and more during a stellar 2021-2022 season. He is the third current Gator to play in a major championship, joining juniors Ricky Castillo (U.S. Open 2020) and Yuxin Lin (Masters 2018, 2020, and The Open 2018, 2020 and 2021).
The 122nd U.S. Open takes place June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Biondi's tee time Thursday is scheduled for 8:46 a.m.
Contact Brandon Hernandez at bhernandez@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @BranH2001.
Brandon Hernandez is currently the enterprise sports writer and sports podcast host for The Independent Alligator. He likes long walks on the sidewalk and watching basketball tape in his off time. You can find most of his work @BranH2001 on X and on The Courtside Podcast on Spotify.
