The Monday a week before the U.S. Open is known as “Golf’s Longest Day,” when hopefuls not already exempt tee up to try to qualify. This Monday, players at 10 sites across North America played 36 holes apiece to fight for the final places in the championship field. For five of the 713 hopefuls, however, the day was over before it began because of a medical emergency.

As first reported by Golf Channel, a seven‑player group departed Mexico City for Miami, but a medical emergency aboard the plane caused delays. After being diverted to Veracruz, deplaning and switching to another aircraft, they finally departed for Miami around 2:00 AM (CT) and landed at 6:45 AM (ET). There’s no update on the ill passenger, but the flight was supposed to land around midnight. All but one of the players missed their tee time.

The players were flying to BallenIsles Country Club, one of the 10 Final Qualifying sites, after playing the PGA Tour Americas Mexico Championship. But by the time the group reached the course after the delay, only Chris Nido made it in time. However, Nido, who was forced to burrow a friend’s clubs after leaving his own in Mexico, nonetheless withdrew after the first round (18 holes) and missed the cut.

One who missed his tee time was amateur Luis Gagne. It is quite ironic, since he’d turned up at Shinnecock as a low amateur back in 2018, the last time the course hosted the U.S. Open. Trouble, however, arrived before he even teed off, according to Brentley Romine of Golf Channel. Weather delays in Mexico forced him onto a rerouted flight that wouldn’t have reached Fort Lauderdale until about 12:45 AM ET on Monday, with a first‑round tee time of 8:10 AM.

Meanwhile, there were four spots available at BallenIsles. Amateur Giuseppe Puebla and Ben Silverman came on top (T1), taking the first two cards. Amateurs Ryder Cowan and Miles Russell, for whom Charlie Woods caddied, were tied for 3rd, taking the remaining spots. Tyler Collet and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are first and second alternates, respectively. Overall, there were 43 spots available on Monday.

But missing out on qualifiers isn’t exactly an isolated incident. Back in 2023, the PGA Tour turned to PGA Tour LIVE announcer Andres Gonzales, who was part of the streaming coverage of that year’s Memorial Tournament, and missed his Monday tee time at the U.S. Open qualifier. His flight out of Chicago got cancelled, leaving him no chance to arrive at Tacoma Country & Golf Club for his tee time.

One qualifier, however, will continue on Tuesday.

The qualifier at Emerald Valley will see a playoff

Out of all the 10 qualifiers, the one at the Emerald Valley qualifier will continue on Tuesday.

There were two spots available, with Greyson Leach taking the first spot to play in the first major of his career. But Spencer Tibbits and Andrew Putnam were tied for second, which means they had to head for a playoff for the second available spot.

They played six more holes, each carding five pars and a bogey, until dusk closed in and play became impossible. After grinding through 42 holes that day, both men agreed to call it quits. They’ll resume the playoff early Tuesday.

Tibbits last played the U.S. Open in 2019, and Putnam hasn’t played any major since 2023.

On a different qualifier site, Lambton Golf & Country Club, 61 players were vying for six spots, and one of them was Thorbjorn Olesen. Midway through his opening round (he was +3 through 14), however, Olesen pulled out instead of finishing his two scheduled rounds.

By the time he walked off, the clubhouse lead at the qualifier was already sitting at five under. Olesen, who has missed the cut in all four of his appearances at the U.S. Open, likely did so to better prepare for the upcoming RBC Canadian Open.

Meanwhile, the six spots were taken by Emiliano Grillo (1st), Alejandro Tosti (2nd), Marcelo Rozo (3rd), William Mouw, John Parry, and Max McGreevy, who all tied for fourth. Matt Wallace and Adam Svensson are first and second alternates, respectively.

Good luck to all of them.