Two past champions of the Greater Cedar Rapids Open (GCRO) and three other GCRO notables have made their way through Local qualifying for the 2012 U.S. Open.

Local favorite Sean McCarty, the head professional at Brown Deer Golf Club in Coralville and the 2009 GCRO champion, and 2010 Champion Andy Winings of Brownsburg, Ind., both won their respective local qualifiers over the last couple of weeks. A total of more than 9,000 golfers competed at more than 100 Local qualifying sites in the first step toward getting into the U.S. Open field.

McCarty fired a 2-under-par 68 on Monday, May 14, at Davenport Country Club and, along with another local GCRO favorite, Bill Hoefle of Marion, earned spots in Sectional qualifying at Village Links of Glen Ellyn in suburban Chicago. That 36-hole tournament is scheduled for Monday, June 4, with qualifiers there advancing to the U.S. Open, to be played June 14-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Hoefle, seemingly an annual contender at the GCRO, shot an even-par 70 and tied for third and was among five qualifiers.

Winings shot a 5-under-par 67 on Monday, May 7, at Woodland Country Club in Carmel, Ind., to win his Local qualifier and earn a spot in Sectional qualifying.

Greg O’Mahony, the 2010 runner-up to Winings in the GCRO, advanced to Sectional qualifying after shooting a 2-under-par 70 in Hollywood, Fla. He tied for second. Judd Cornell, who finished fourth last year at the GCRO after posting an opening-round 8-under 64, took second at the Nebraska City, Neb., Local qualifier to move on to Sectionals.

Chris Thompson of Lawrence, Kan., who tied for second last year at the GCRO, finished fifth in a qualifier at Wichita, Kan., and is an alternate. Brock Mulder, 2011 GCRO champion, failed to advance out of Irving, Texas.

Don Wojciechowski resides in the Hunters Ridge Golf Course community and plays the course on a regular basis. He’s a former sports editor for a suburban Chicago daily newspaper and an avid golf fan.