Van Sickle reflects on the journey to the 2016 U.S. Open
By Mike Dudurich, Contributing Writer • May 16, 2025
Mike Van Sickle experienced the thrill of playing in the U.S. Open in his hometown at Oakmont Country Club in 2016.
The combination of some good play on his part and some results that weren't just good enough by some others combined to have Van Sickle first off the tee for the first two rounds.
Nine years later, the names and situations around him have changed, but Van Sickle is still playing — and at a high level.
"In 2016, I had been married two years, and we had a four-month-old baby," he laughed. "It was sort of a dream come true situation to maybe get into the Open."
And it was dreamy-like.
At the time, Van Sickle was ranked 1,297th in the world — hardly a position of power in the realm of elite golf. But the Pine-Richland High School graduate was fueled by something special.
The U.S. Open was also played at Oakmont in 2007 and a young Van Sickle — 21 years old at the time — almost realized his dream then but came up a shot short of making the field.
"The most devastating moment of my golf career," he said flat-out at the time. "Sure, other things happen along the way, but at the time, that was pretty tough."
It was a different story in 2016. Players around the world competed in events, hoping to improve their status and their world rankings to get into Oakmont. And the ones closest to qualifying with good performances, didn't come up with those quality performances.
Van Sickle saw the scores, did some mental math and said the words that couldn't be uttered officially ... yet.
"Mathematically, we're in."
He was entered in a sectional qualifier in Rockville, Maryland after the PGA Tour event not far from there and finished fourth, with the top three finishers qualifying for the U.S. Open.
All Van Sickle could do was wait for the official word from the USGA and did so while watching the Penguins make their way to another Stanley Cup championship.
"I found out Sunday night of Open week," he laughed.
And then came the morning he'd been waiting for: Thursday. His boundless enthusiasm was on display as he burst onto the range in one of his signature colorful and distinctive outfits.
"Sure, I was excited," he said, the wide smile and dancing eyes clear evidence as to his mental state. "It was awesome."
Van Sickle laughs when said he's proud to be able to say he played on the weekend at Oakmont in 2016.
"I was in the first group off on Thursday and because of all the rain on Friday we didn't play at all," he said. "I was in the first group off Saturday. So, I played the weekend."
Van Sickle attempted to repeat history in 2025, playing in a U.S. Open Local Qualifying round on May 13 at Quicksilver Golf Club, which hadn’t hosted a qualifier since 2012. Van Sickle just happened to be the medalist in the qualifier that year.
But this time around, Van Sickle couldn’t recapture the magic from nine years prior, shooting a 4-over 76 to miss the final qualifying position by five strokes.
Van Sickle is working now at No Offseason Golf on Route 228 in Mars, He gives lessons, using his extensive knowledge of golf at all levels. He uses Trackman to help in that endeavor and he's learned a lot about his own game from it.
"For me these days, I’m not playing a great deal competitively, I’m working a fair amount and I'm learning to allow myself to play and not have big expectations," Van Sickle admitted prior to the qualifier. "I have a better understanding of the golf swing than I did.”
His 2025 professional season got off to a nice start, playing in a Pro-Am at the Greenbrier in West Virginia and finishing in a tie for second. He has racked up multiple competitive wins already this spring.
And while he unfortunately won’t get the opportunity to show out at Oakmont Country in some of his eye-popping threads again, the immediate future remains bright for one of the region’s most talented players.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and nearly 37,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.