BRAINERD — With the 126th US Open continuing this weekend at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York, Pierz native Bob Bell just missed his chance to join the field.
Bell, 36, competed in the US Open Final Qualifying round June 8 at Lakes Golf and Country Club. Nicknamed the longest day in golf. Bell played 36 holes, needing to finish in the top four of just over 50 golfers.
Bell carded a first-place 7-under 65 in his first 18 holes. He carded five birdies and an eagle in his bogey-free round.
He extended his lead and got to 10-under par five holes into his second 18 holes with birdies in three of his first five holes. As he approached the sixth tee box he told his caddie, Pierz native Scott Jansen, that he was going to shoot 15-under.
“The mindset was to get through the round and stay hydrated,” Bell said. “I teach golf lessons 40 to 50 hours a week and that is not very conducive to walking 36 holes in 90-degree weather. It’s a quick turnaround and it was a long day for sure. I never felt any pressure.”
Bell suffered his first bogey of the final qualifying tournament on the sixth, but got it back with a birdie on the seventh. The round took a turn as he carded a double bogey on the par-3 eighth hole and a bogey on the ninth to drop to 7-under par and even for his second 18 holes.
Robert Bell plays in the 2019 Brainerd Lakes Area Tour Showcase at Cragun’s Legacy Courses.
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
Bell recorded three bogeys and one birdie in his last nine holes to shoot a 5-under 139 and four shots back of qualifying for the US Open.
“The mindset never changed, even after the double bogey,” Bell said. “When I look back on the whole experience, the tee shot on nine and the tee shot on 10 and the tee shot on 11, I could feel the fatigue setting in.”
Multiple players in the final qualifying tournament field play full-time on the PGA Tour. Bud Cauley, who missed making the US Open by one stroke, went on to win the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour the same weekend.
“It’s not intimidating,” Bell said. “Good golf is good golf and you can see it at the highest level all the way down to the mini tours.”
The four players to qualify for the US Open from the Ohio qualifying were Davis Thompson (11-under), J.B. Holmes (9-under), Vaughn Harber (9-under) and Ami Svenisson (9-under). Thompson plays full-time on the PGA Tour, where he’s made two top-10 finishes and one top-five finish in the 2026 season. Holmes is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and Harber and Svenisson are both amateurs.
Pierz native Robert Bell tees off at the 2019 Brainerd Lakes Area Showcase at Cragun’s Legacy Courses. He will be the new assistant men’s golf coach at the University of Minnesota.
Steve Kohls / Brainerd Dispatch
“It was a really good opportunity in front of a lot of really good players,” Bell said. “Half of the field was comprised of PGA Tour players. It was a good chance to show where my game was at and I wanted to choose the Columbus site because they give out the most spots due to the strength of the field. I know if I play my best game, I can play with anyone in the world.”
Bell won the medalist honors in the Local US Open Qualifying May 4 at Country Club of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. Bell shot a 4-under 68 to reach the next stage. Staples native Andrew Israelson shot a 1-under 71 and lost a playoff for the first alternate slot in the US Open Final Qualifying.
It’s the fourth time Bell has made it to the US Open Final Qualifying. He played in Ohio in 2018, where it was a similar story to this season. He was ahead after the first 18 holes before falling back in the final 18.
“That year was a split site and my second 18 was at the Lakes and I was tied for the lead heading into that round,” Bell said. “The day just got long. I just need to prepare myself better for those longer days. I have been close every year that I have played in the final qualifying, which I feel like is what you want.”
Bell works as a PGA teaching professional at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. He’s spent time as a golf instructor at Eagles’ Landing Golf Course in Fort Ripley, assistant golf pro at Tonto Verde in Arizona and one season as an assistant golf coach at the University of Minnesota, where Bell played his collegiate golf.
“Talking Stick is an unbelievable facility,” Bell said. “I am really able to get into people’s golf swing a lot quicker with the technology I can use. It’s one of the best venues there is in Arizona. Business is booming and it’s good.”
Bell holds 15 professional victories with the most recent coming in the 2025 Skyline Open. The tournament was played at Skyline Country Club in Tucson, Arizona and Bell shot the course record 62 in one of the rounds.
“The course plays at 6,200 yards, but it’s the hardest 6,200-yard golf course and it’s not even close,” Bell said. “The field had 70 or 80 other pros and I broke the course record in the first round. It was a three-day tournament and I won by two or three shots.”
Although Bell will watch the rest of the US Open from his couch, he has a ton of gratitude for his journey. His family made the trip to watch him. He also recently got engaged.
“It’s important to thank people who have helped you,” Bell said. “One of my best friends was my caddy. My family made the trip, and my new fiancée was there on the trip. I don’t get to play in many tournaments anymore in front of my friends and family and that means a lot to me.”