Less than a month before the third Major of the year, the US Open at Pinehurst No.2, three of 13 final qualifiers were held on Monday, with 23 places secured - and one dramatic and high-profile elimination right at the end of a mammoth day of action...
One of the qualifiers, which each took place over 36 holes, was held in Japan, where three local players, Ryo Ishikawa, Riki Kawamoto and Taisei Shimizu, booked their places. There was disappointment for LIV Golf’s Scott Vincent, though, who narrowly missed out, along with another player from the circuit, Jinichiro Kozuma.
After that, the focus turned to Walton Heath in England, where nine more spots were up for grabs.
One of the most intriguing names to qualify at the event was Robert Rock. The Englishman will make his first US Open appearances 2012 after signing off his DP World Tour career in 2022 after 465 starts.
Rock told the DP World Tour: “It’s difficult to describe. I really didn’t have any thoughts of qualifying. I thought it was my last chance of playing this event and a good opportunity to see where my game was having been out of it for a couple of years. I thought while I could still enter, I’d see where I’d fit. I played with James Morrison and had such a good day.
“I wasn’t sure I could play two rounds, I’ve been playing mostly nine holes and then the back nine has hurt because my back isn’t the best at the moment. It did today, I was struggling on the back nine. Thankfully my mate came to push the trolley. I didn’t think I’d make 36, but it’s amazing what making a few putts does.”
It will be 47-year-old Rock’s third appearance at the tournament, where he will be hoping to roll back the years and rediscover the form that saw him finish T23 at the Major 13 years ago.
Another notable name to qualify is Italian five-time DP World Tour winner Matteo Manassero. He got over the line by one shot to continue a resurgence that included victory at the Jonsson Workwear Open in March – his first in 3,942 days, after spells on the Alps Tour and Challenge Tour.
The other qualifiers from Walton Heath were Scot Grant Forrest, the English trio of Richard Mansell, Brandon Robinson-Thompson and Sam Bairstow, along with Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin, Manassero’s compatriot Edoardo Molinari and Australian Jason Scrivener.
In McKibbin’s case, the tournament promises to be particularly special as, per Jamie Weir, it takes place at the venue where he won the US Kids Golf World Championship as a 12-year-old in 2015.
back to one again;Dodo Molinari, European VC, joining his fellow countryman;And Tom McKibbin will play in his first EVER major at Pinehurst, where he won the World Kids Championship as a 12yo in 2015. Seriously chuffed for him. pic.twitter.com/M8QXUaoq3YMay 20, 2024
Among those failing to make it through the Walton Heath qualifier were Casey Jarvis. The South African, who last year became the second youngest player to card a 59, began brilliantly, with six birdies in eight holes, but just missed out after rounds of 65 and 72.
Three-time DP World Tour winner Guido Migliozzi also fell short, along with Adri Arnaus, who won the 2022 Catalunya Championship. Former LIV Golf player Bernd Wiesberger missed out too, along with two players still on the circuit, Sam Horsfield and Kalle Samooja.
Matt Fitzpatrick won the tournament in 2022, so has no issues with qualification, but his brother Alex's attempt to join him didn't come to fruition after he finished two over after his 36 holes, nine shots shy of the cut line.
Another 11 qualified for the event at Dallas Athletic Club in Texas, where some familiar names were playing including a host of LIV Golf stars - Sergio Garcia, Eugenio Chacarra, Carlos Ortiz, Caleb Surratt, Kevin Na, Danny Lee, Abraham Ancer and Brendan Steele. That would have been more, but Patrick Reed withdrew late on, bringing to a close a run of consecutive Major appearances since the 2014 Masters.
Of the eight LIV Golf players who did compete in Dallas, just one made it - Chacarra, who is now set for his maiden Major appearance.
Others to qualify include Francesco Molinari, who joins his brother Edoardo at the tournament, 2023 Puerto Rico Open winner Nicolas Echavarria, and two-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Streelman.
Arguably the most shocking elimination of the day came right at the last, and it was 2017 Masters winner Garcia who fell victim to it.
He went into the day hoping to make his 25th consecutive appearance at the tournament. The odds were good when he was involved in a seven-man playoff for the final six spots after finishing on three-under. However, he was the only player to bogey on the first playoff hole, which saw him eliminated in the most agonizing manner imaginable.
It isn't all over for Garcia just yet as he's now first alternate, so will be hoping for a withdrawal to continue his run.
Among the other big names to miss out was Full Swing star Joel Dahmen, who only completed the first 18 holes before withdrawing. Four-time PGA Tour player Aaron Baddeley was also in the field, but like Dahmen, he didn't finish. Another multiple PGA Tour player, Nick Watney, also failed to reach the Major, while there was no place for two-time PGA Tour winner Andrew Landry or Cameron Champ, who has three wins on the Tour.
The remaining 10 qualifiers take place in the US and Canada on 3 June, dubbed "golf's longest day," just over a week before the tournament begins.
US Open Final Qualifying 2024 - Players Who Made It
HINO GOLF CLUB - SHIGA PREFECTURE, JAPAN
- Ryo Ishikawa -9
- Riki Kawamoto -9
- Taisei Shimizu -8
WALTON HEATH GOLF CLUB - SURREY, ENGLAND
- Grant Forrest -10
- Richard Mansell -10
- Brandon Robinson-Thompson -10
- Sam Bairstow -9
- Robert Rock -9
- Tom McKibbin -8
- Edorardo Molinari -8
- Jason Scrivener -8
- Matteo Manassero -8
DALLAS ATHLETIC CLUB - TEXAS, USA
- Nicolas Echavarria -7
- McClure Meissner -6
- Eugenio Chacarra -6
- Takumi Kanaya -4
- Francesco Molinari -4
- Brandon Wu -3
- Michael McGowan -3
- Parker Bell -3
- SH Kim -3
- Sung Kang -3
- Logan McAllister -3
(Sergio Garcia eliminated after playoff)
