Securing a berth in the U.S. Open is a difficult task, but not even being able to compete for the berth is harsh. This year, six players on the PGA Tour Americas were caught in this predicament, unable to participate in the final qualifying marathon for the U.S. Open.

"Golf's Longest Day" is celebrated for delivering legendary drama across the country. However, this group never reached the starting tee, falling victim to a bizarre and completely uncontrollable travel disaster.

According to a Golf Digest report from June 8, 2026, a mid-flight medical emergency forced the plane to reroute. Six players lost their U.S. Open qualifying chance after a mid-flight medical emergency.

Seven competitors boarded the Sunday night flight from Mexico City. They were bound for BallenIsles Country Club in Miami, hoping to secure a highly coveted U.S. Open berth.

But a passenger's health condition led to an unplanned landing in Veracruz, where everyone had to wait until another plane was ready for departure, according to the Golf Digest report.

That second flight finally departed around 2 AM CT. And they finally arrived in Miami at 6:45 AM ET, when it was already too late for them to make it to their tee times.

Only Chris Nido managed to compete on Monday. He held the final morning tee time but was forced to play with borrowed clubs after leaving his own gear behind.

The remaining six players had to withdraw immediately. After grinding through the Mexico Championship, their hard-earned major championship opportunities vanished before the day even began.

But not all was amiss at the BallenIsles.

Young U.S. Open Hopeful Has Triumph at BallenIsles 

While travel issues put the hopes of six players to rest, the very same Florida qualifier at BallenIsles Country Club became the stage where one player had a breakthrough moment.

Seventeen-year-old amateur prodigy Miles Russell stole the headlines by capturing his first-ever major championship berth. He showed resilience across 38 intense holes of high-stakes golf.

Being the top-ranked junior golfer, he showed perseverance after making a triple bogey in the first round of the game, where he recorded a score of 1-under 71. He refused to give up on his goal despite the difficult start.

He mounted a charge during the second round by firing a five-under-par 67, recording seven birdies to move 11 positions up the crowded leaderboard.

This final-day run led to an exciting three-for-two playoff with Tyler Collet and Ryder Cowan, where the talented left-hander earned his prestigious spot for the upcoming majors.

His buddy and future teammate at college, Charlie Woods, caddied for him for the day.

Moving forward, the talented amateur golfer will continue training for his debut in a major championship next week versus top professional golfers at Shinnecock Hills.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Surjo Ray