June 5, 2007

AUBURN----Former Auburn All-American golfers Jason Dufner and Lee Williams qualified Monday for the 107th U.S. Open June 14-17 at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

Williams earned co-medalist honors at the sectional qualifier by shooting a 7-under par 67-70--137 at Hawks Ridge Golf Club in Ball Ground, Ga., while Dufner finished a shot back with a pair of 69s.

Dufner, who is currently ranked 128th on the PGA Tour*s FedExCup Standings with earnings of $267,800 this year, will play in his third U.S. Open and second consecutive. The Cleveland, Ohio, native who now lives in Auburn, tied for 40th in last year*s U.S. Open at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He missed the cut in his first U.S. Open at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla., in 2001.

Williams, who has played on the Nationwide Tour this year, will be making his third-straight U.S. Open appearance while tying for 40th in last years Open at Winged Foot. The Alexander City, Ala., native missed the cut in his first U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2005. Williams played in the 2003 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club.

"It is always a privilege to get to play in the U.S. Open," said Williams, who was reached in the middle of a practice round for this week*s Rex Hospital Open on the Nationwide Tour in Raleigh, N.C.. "I am just happy that I can go back to a course where I played the U.S. Amateur and had some success. Hopefully, Ill remember the course well and have a good week. "

"My game is coming around. I didnt have a great first part of the year as I got off to a kind of slow start. I played in the BMW Nationwide event (May 20) and tied for 35th and that was my first one this year. I am going to be in the next five Nationwide events. My game is not exactly where I want it, but I am definitely trying to get better."

Dufner, who is competing in the PGA Tour*s Stanford St. Jude Classic this week in Memphis, was an honorable mention All-American in 1997 for Auburn and a three-time All-SEC selection after walking-on in 1996. Williams was a two-time U.S. Walker Cup member and was on the U.S. World Amateur team. In 2003, he was the NCAA Championship runner-up, a third-team All-American and Academic All-American. He was a three-time All-SEC pick, including two first-team selections in 2002 and 2005. His 72.38 career stroke average is an Auburn record.