U.S. Open Local Qualifier takes place at Crumpin-Fox Club Thursday (PHOTOS)

BERNARDSTON — Golfers from all over flocked to Crumpin-Fox Club on Thursday for the 2025 U.S. Open Local Qualifier, hoping to get one step closer to achieving their dreams of competing in the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.

The top four finishers at each local qualifier — taking place at 110 different courses across the country from April 16 through May 19 — advance to the Final Qualifying Round, which begins on May 19 and runs until June 2 at at 13 different locations. The fifth and sixth place finishers at each local qualifier advance to the Final Qualifying Round as alternates.

On Thursday at Crump, Wales’ Ieuan Jones was the first-place finisher after shooting a 3-under 69 on the day. Jones was proud of the performance especially having been under the weather this week.

“It went pretty well,” Jones said. “I haven’t touched a club in three days to be honest because I’ve been sick. I got in a really good rhythm today and hit a lot of good shots. I just happened to make a few putts which is great.”

How does someone from Wales end up playing in a qualifier in Western Mass.? Jones — who went to high school in Michigan — attends Harvard and plays on the Crimson golf team.

With Bernardston being one of the closest qualifiers, he made the trip out and played Crump for the first time. Without any experience on the course, he said he had to figure it out as he went.

“I go to Harvard so it’s a two hour drive from campus to here,” Jones said. “It’s a nice course. I was surprised coming in here. You’re driving through nothing and a golf course just pops up. I haven’t seen this course before. It was a little sketchy in a few places. It looked like there could be some hidden creeks in different spots so I just tried to play it to places I could see.”

Jones came into the tournament having placed second at the Ivy League Championship this past weekend and stayed hot on Thursday, shooting just one bogey on both the front and back nine while adding birdies on 6, 7, 10, 13 and 14 to take first place.

He said he’ll be looking to keep the momentum going in the Final Qualifying Round.

“It’s great,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m as good as anyone. Now I’m 36 holes away from the U.S. Open. I just have to go out, play some good golf and see what happens. I just have to show up and play well.”

Louisville, Kentucky’s Robbie Keyes and Weston’s Cooper Griffin finished in a tie for second after both carded 1-under scores of 71.

Keyes had good luck playing on Western Mass. courses in the past, having qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship at Berkshire Hills Country Club in Pittsfield a few years ago. With his sister working at Williams College, he decided to come back out and compete at Crump on Thursday and it was once again a successful trip.

“It’s awesome moving on,” Keyes said. “I have good vibes playing out here. Taking off work to qualify, it’s always better when you actually qualify. It proves to people you can actually do it.”

It didn’t start out well for Keyes, who was 1-over after nine following a pair of bogeys. He scored birdies on 10 and 13 but bogeys on 12 and 14 kept him 1-over before a strong finish that saw him birdie 17 and 18 brought him to 1-under.

“It was pretty up and down but overall very well,” Keyes said. “I’ve never played this course before.”

While many were playing Crumpin-Fox for the first time, Griffin had experience on the course having played it during a Mass. Junior event. He said he enjoyed the experience and looked forward to coming back to play again.

“The course played great,” Griffin said. “Fairways were great, the greens were awesome. It’s in great shape.”

Griffin started hot, sinking birdies on 4, 7 and 8, though bogeys on 6 and 9 put him at 1-under going into the back nine. He fell back to even after a bogey on 15 but birdied 17 to seal his spot in the next round.

“It went pretty well,” Griffin said. “The front side was good, I had a lot of birdies then two bogeys. On the back side I played pretty well. My putting was the key factor.”

Griffin has made it past the local qualifier in the past and is hoping to make it one step further this year.

“It’s unreal,” Griffin said. “It means a lot. Three years ago I made it past the local qualifiers in Foxborough. I’m used to it now but it’s still a nervous feeling.”

Canada’s Jimmy Jones and Falmouth, Maine’s Shawn Warren both closed out their round even par, leading to a playoff to determine which would advance to the final qualifying round. Jones took the playoff to punch the final spot while Warren and Bedford, New Hampshire’s Patrick Gocklin (1-over) will move on as alternates.

There were several locals who competed on Thursday. Hadley’s Nick Stern shot a 7-over 79, Northampton’s Aaron Van Epps carded an 8-over 80, South Deerfield’s Keith Burch shot a 9-over 81, Conway’s Gunnar Moore carded a 10-over 82 while Greenfield’s Will Conant came in with a 19-over 91.