The 126th U.S. Open golf championship is scheduled June 19-21 in Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. Hilltop High School alumnus Ryan Ellerbrock would like to be there as a competitor rather than a spectator.
Ellerbrock, who attended Hilltop High School from 2003-07 and then Point Loma Nazarene University from 2009-13, is taking the first step toward reaching that goal by competing in Thursday’s U.S. Open local qualifier at Rancho La Quinta Country Club (Jones Course) in La Quinta.
It’s a winding road to reach the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
For those advancing out of the U.S. Open local qualifying tournaments that are being conducted at 109 sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico through May 13, they will advance to the U.S. Open’s final qualifying stage that will be conducted over 36 holes at two U.S. sites on May 18 and 10 other U.S. sites on June 8.
Ellerbrock is in his fourth year on the Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour and has already won two APGA championships — the 2023 Farmers Insurance Fall Series Finale and the 2024 APGA at TPC Deer Run.
Both victories have boosted Ellerbrock’s mindset at making the U.S. Open cut.
He’ll be among than 25 APGA members who are competing in various U.S. Open local qualifiers across the country. It can be done. Chase Johnson was the only APGA Tour golfer in last year’s U.S. Open playing field at the Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania.
Things are going well at present as he embarks on this latest challenge.
“I feel really good,” he said. “I just played on a Mexican sectional qualifying tour. I finished 13th.”
He also recently got engaged.
“I’m optimistic,” he said.
Ellerbrock turned pro in 2013 following Second Team All-American honors his sophomore and junior years at Point Loma Nazarene. As a freshman in college, he was a highly decorated golf at Cuyamaca College, winning several community college events.
The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring an inclusive future through the game of golf. The APGA Tour hosts and operates professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and introduces the game to inner city young people.
Besides conducting 12 tournaments and awarding more than $1 million in prize and bonus money in 2026m the APGA has organized a Player Development Program to aid young minority golfers as they work to chase their professional golfing goals.
Ellerbrock said he was inspired to take up golfing from his uncle Bryan Gorman, who played in the 1992 U.S. Open, on the PGA TOUR in 1996 and won the San Diego Section championship in 1981. He is currently the reaching professional at the Bonita Golf Course.
Golf has kept him busy.
He played seven years in the PGA TOUR Latinoamerica from 2013-17, 2022 and 2023. He competed in every country except Venezuela and Belize. He played two years in the PGA TOUR Canada in 2019 and 2022.
He also spent time as a caddy for Martin Trainer on the PGA TOUR in 2019. Trainer won the Puerto Rico Open in 2019. Getting a taste of that victory, Ellerbrock made the decision to return to active professional full status.
He said playing in Latin America and Canada was an invaluable experience.
“I got to experience different cultures and play on a variety of courses, and in playing conditions, I wouldn’t otherwise have been able to,” he said. “It gave me the opportunity to play full time.”
Ellerbrock began playing golf at age 3 and spent 10 years competing in the San Diego Junior Golf Association, winning a championship. He competed in the World Junior Championship his sophomore and junior years in high school.
“The Junior World Championship in 2007 was played at Torrey Pines,” he recounted. “It was an amazing experience to play on a PGA level course where I had seen all these pros play on.”
Ellerbrock played varsity sports all four years at Hilltop: water polo, swimming, golf and baseball. He won a league championship in water polo in 2006. He won the Metro League golf final in 2005 and 2006.
“I had always been interested in sports, I loved being competitive,” he said.
The former Lancer qualified three years to compete in the San Diego Section championship tournament and qualified for the state tournament as a senior.
“It was a career accomplishment for high school,” he said.
There’s the next generation to teach and follow in his footsteps. He is still giving back to the community by offering lessons at the Bonita Golf Course.
