Departed Rice University senior golfer Michael Whitehead was the odd man out in a three-golfer playoff for the final two spots to play in the U.S. Open through the 36-hole Sectional Qualifier played on the Blue Course at the Dallas Athletic Club on Monday.

Whitehead birdied three of his final four holes of golf in regulation to get to four-under par for the day (136) and set up a playoff with Harrison Frazar and Greg Chalmers. Both Frazar and Chalmers advanced out of the playoff and will compete at the U.S. Open June 13-19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. Also qualifying for the U.S. Open out of the 71-player event held at the Dallas Athletic Club were Michael Smith who fired a seven-under par 133 and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton who shot a 135.

Justin Leonard, who won the 1997 British Open, is the second alternate out of the Dallas Sectional Qualifier.

Whitehead bogeyed his second hole of the Sectional but came right back with a birdie on his next hole. He also had two birdies on the back nine to finish the morning round with a two-under par 68.

Starting the second round from the 10^th tee, the Sugar Land native came back from a double-bogey on the par 3 No. 16 and a bogey on 18 to shoot four-under on the Blue Course's front nine to advance to the playoff.

The U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier was the first professional tournament for Whitehead who recently completed his career at Rice. He was the 2011 Conference USA Golfer of the Year.

Also Monday at the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier played in Columbus, Ohio, 2006 Rice graduate Parker La Barge shot a 140 (68-72) to miss the U.S. Open cut by three strokes.