Rocco Mediate lost in a playoff last year when he had a chance to qualify for the U.S. Open and play in front of his hometown fans at Oakmont. He didn't let the opportunity pass this time, even though the U.S. Open will be contested a long way from his native Greensburg.

Mediate claimed one of six spots available in an 11-man playoff yesterday in a 36-hole sectional qualifier at Columbus, Ohio, putting him back in the U.S. Open after a one-year absence and giving him a chance for another strong showing in the national championship.

Mediate shot 72-67--139 to finish tied for 17th with 10 other players, eight shots behind medalist Carl Pettersson (64-67--131). But he emerged from the playoff with a birdie on the first extra hole to advance to the U.S. Open June 12-15 at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, Calif.

Mediate, who finished fourth in 2001 and tied for sixth in 2005 at the U.S. Open, was the only one of 12 players with ties to Western Pennsylvania to make it through a 36-hole sectional qualifier -- at least for now.

Jon Mills, a PGA Tour player who lives in Indiana, Pa., still has a chance to advance. He was one of the 11 players involved in the playoff after shooting 73-66--139 and was on the fourth extra hole when darkness postponed the playoff until today. Mills is one of three players left for two spots.

Among the players to advance through the Columbus qualifier: Davis Love III, who finished tied for 14th after shooting 72-66--138

At Dayton, Ohio, former Fox Chapel amateur Chip Zimmerman, now an assistant professional in suburban Atlanta, shot 68-69--137 and missed a playoff for one of five qualifying spots by one shot. The shot Zimmerman will remember: He knocked his tee shot out of bounds on the 12th hole during the first round at Springfield Country Club.

"I've been in the car now for about 30 minutes, and I keep going back over what I could have done and what I didn't do," said Zimmerman, who works at Cherokee Town & Country Club in Roswell, Ga.

St. Clair amateur Dave Brown shot 72-70--142 to miss the playoff by five shots. Bobby MacWhinnie, a mini-tour player from Upper St. Clair, and Birdsfoot Golf Club professional Dennis Munko also failed to qualify.

Steve Wheatcroft, a Washington, Pa., native who played on the PGA Tour in 2007, tried to rally from an opening 75 with a 3-under 69 in the afternoon that included four birdies on his first six holes. But he finished at par-144, tied for 53rd in the field of 144 players.

After playing 33 holes on Saturday and 18 Sunday in a weather-interrupted Nationwide Tour event in Chicago, Wheatcroft said he was fatigued playing a 36-hole qualifier. Especially with a 7:10 a.m. starting time.

"I played 87 holes the last three days, plus the travel, and I guess it caught up to me," Wheatcroft said.

Nathan Smith, a former U.S. Mid-Amateur champ who is a member of Wildwood Country Club, was also among the disappointed at Columbus. He shot 72-73--145, matching the numbers posted by Miami (Ohio) freshman and Oakmont member Nathan Sutherland.

Smith, though, made it interesting. After shooting par 72 at Brookside, he birdied three of the first seven holes at the Ohio State Scarlet Course to get to 3 under and give himself a chance. But, he flew the green at his eighth hole and made double bogey, then bogeyed the ninth hole to make the turn at even par.

Mike Van Sickle, a Pine-Richland High School graduate who will be a senior at Marquette University, shot 8-over 150 and did not qualify.