Alexander: The U.S. Open qualifier hardly anyone saw coming

This truly is a case of beating the odds.
There were 9,049 entries for this week’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y., the eighth largest number in the 118-year history of the tournament.
Of those, 8,537 golfers started out in local qualifying in May. There were 860 competitors, 500 domestic and 360 international, advancing to sectional qualifying last Monday: One day, 36 holes, no guarantees.
Those tournaments produced 74 qualifiers for the 156-player field, to go with var