Recent Ohio State Golfer Maxwell Moldovan Lands Berth in U.S. Open for Third Straight Year

Maxwell Moldovan will play in the U.S. Open for the third straight year.

The recent Ohio State golfer, who concluded his career as a Buckeye two weeks ago when the Buckeyes competed in the NCAA championship, received one of the final spots in this year’s U.S. Open on Monday when he was added to the field as an alternate.

What a morning. The best wake up call @USGA Prayers answeredPRAISE the Lord!! #GodIsGreat
— Maxwell Moldovan (@MoldovanMaxwell) June 10, 2024

For the 3rd consecutive year, Maxwell Moldovan is a @usopengolf Qualifier. And this time, it will be his first tournament as a professional!! Congrats Max! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/MqUCslVQ5w
— Ohio State Mens Golf (@OhioStateMGOLF) June 10, 2024

It’s the second year in a row that Moldovan has made the U.S. Open as an alternate after he narrowly missed earning a spot in the field at final qualifying in Springfield, Ohio. He made the most of his late addition last year, making the cut before finishing 65th. He missed the cut after qualifying for his first U.S. Open in 2022.

Moldovan joins his recent Ohio State teammate Neal Shipley in the U.S. Open field. Shipley earned a berth in the field as a result of his runner-up finish at last year’s U.S. Amateur. That result also earned Shipley a spot in this year’s Masters, where he was the lone amateur to make the cut.

Both players are now pursuing professional careers after exhausting their collegiate eligibility this past season, though Shipley will compete in the U.S. Open as an amateur – a requirement of accepting the bid he earned through the U.S. Amateur – before turning pro. Shipley, Moldovan and fellow former Ohio State golfer Caleb Ramirez will all play on the North American Swing of PGA Tour Americas, the third-tier tour in the PGA Tour system, beginning next week.

Buckeyes Neal Shipley and Caleb Ramirez both make it through PGA Tour Americas Qualifying this week and will join Maxwell Moldovan for the North America swing this summer. Congrats fellas!! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/uf8zZvMKRd
— Ohio State Mens Golf (@OhioStateMGOLF) June 8, 2024

Moldovan got a jump-start on his professional career by teeing it up in the first two rounds of The Memorial Tournament on Thursday and Friday as a player marker. While his scores did not officially count and he did not receive any prize money, Moldovan had the opportunity to play alongside PGA Tour pro Davis Thompson to round out the field for the first two rounds, which included an odd number of players (73).