AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn men's golfer Brendan Valdes is headed to Pinehurst No. 2 as the junior is set to compete for a major championship for the second year in a row at the 2024 U.S. Open June 13-16 in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Valdes tees off Thursday from hole 1 at 11:30 a.m. CT with Jason Scrivener and Brandon Robinson Thompson. He is one of 14 select amateurs to be represented in the field this week. He is one of four from the Southeastern Conference.
At the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, Valdes shot 78-78 (+16) and missed the cut. Auburn played Pinehurst No. 2 in early March as part of the Pinehurst Intercollegiate. Valdes finished tied for 49th individually after shooting 76-72-75 (+13).
During the 2023-24 season, Valdes was a crucial piece in both Auburn's SEC and NCAA Championship runs. Voted a PING First Team All-American, he carded nine top-10 finishes, 24 rounds below par, 165 birdies and one win. Valdes was responsible for one of the Tigers' championship-clinching points in the NCAA final as he defeated Florida State's Frederik Kjettrup 4&3.