Pro football mistake could cost him US Open spot: ‘Big mistake’

Monday was the 2026 iteration of “Golf’s Longest Day,” the final qualifying round for the US Open at Shinnecock Hills. The drama was intense at all 10 Final Qualifying events in the US, Canada and England.

This action left a lot of players happy after punching their tickets for the third best performance of the year. But many players were frustrated this morning after failing to get tee times at the US Open, perhaps none more so than PGA Tour pro Adam Svensson.

In a last-three qualifying match in Toronto, Svensson made a mental mistake with his ball marker that could have cost him his start at the US Open.

Here’s what you need to know.

Adam Svensson loses US Open qualifier after taking ball marker

Lambton Golf & Country Club in Toronto played host to one of the 10 US Open Final Qualifying events yesterday, with an impressive field vying for six spots at Shinnecock Hills.

At the end of the 36-hole marathon, Emiliano Grillo (nine under), Alejandro Tosti (eight under) and Marcelo Rozo (seven under) won the first three places. But eight players remained tied for six under.

And so an epic sudden-death playoff ensued, with eight players vying for three US Open spots and, most importantly, two alternate spots.

William Mouw birdied the first qualifying hole for fourth place at the US Open, and two players, including PGA Tour star Max Homa, bogeyed his way out.

That left five players to continue playing for the remaining two spots. On the next hole, John Parry birdied the fifth and another player made bogey, leaving three players to fight for the final spot.

Those players were Svensson, Matt Wallace and Max McGreevy. Although there was only one official US Open spot left to claim, first and second could still be traded for.

Historically, a first-place finisher has the best chance of making the US Open field when other players drop out. The second one? Not so much.

Wallace finished the hole first with a par. Svensson was sitting on the green safely with a par putt, but marked his ball to allow McGreevy to putt first.

McGreevy birdied his putt to claim the sixth and final spot at the US Open.

That’s when Svensson made a mistake that will probably haunt him this morning. In a moment of confusion, Svensson thought the breakout game was over after McGreevy holed his birdie. So he picked up a green ball marker.

The problem? The final game was not yet over. With Wallace in the mix, Svensson needed to close his par putt to keep the playoff, and his hopes for the top spot, alive.

But by mistaking his ball marker, Svensson gave up the playoff, giving Wallace another first.

Just before the three players shook hands, the rules official walked onto the green to deliver some tough news to Svensson.

“This is a big deal, a really big deal. There’s a good chance Matt Wallace will play (the US Open),” said Golf Channel analyst Brendon de Jonge when discussing the incident. “Most of the time we see another first come in. It’s a big mistake made there by Adam Svensson, and unfortunately at the end of a long day you can make these kinds of mistakes.”

You can watch a short video below.

There is still a chance for Svensson to enter the US Open as the second seed, which would represent his third start at the event and sixth major start overall. If there is a rash of withdrawals between now and next Thursday, when the opening round of the US Open begins, he could be put on the field.

If not, the one-time PGA Tour winner will regret his mistake for a long time to come.