ARDMORE, Pennsylvania: Irish amateur Kevin Phelan, Scotland’s Russell Knox and South Korean Kim Bi-o each advanced to next week’s US Open golf championship by setting the pace in qualifying events yesterday.
Eleven sites conducted 36-hole sectional events to book berths in the second major tournament of the year, to be staged June 13-16 at Merion Golf Club.
Phelan fired a nine-under 135 total to take medalist honors and one of four available spots at Bradenton, Florida.
Kim took the low spot by four strokes at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, California, at 10-under 133 to book his berth at Merion.
At Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Maryland, Scotsman Knox, Canada’s Adam Hadwin and American Randall Hutchinson shared the qualifying pace at nine-under 132.
Australian Matthew Goggin was also among eight who made the US Open field from suburban Washington while the last man in was Sam Saunders, the grandson of legend Arnold Palmer, who finished with back-to-back birdies to make it.
Many other international golfers played their way into the US Open lineup.
Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-Tsung, a University of Washington freshman who was second to Chinese teen Guan Tianlang at last year’s Asian Amateur Championship, took the last of two spots on offer at Cle Elm, Washington, at one-under par 139.
Aussie Alastair Presnall survived a three-man playoff for the last two spots in Memphis, Tennessee.
A day after the PGA Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio, there were 15 spots on offer at nearby Columbus, with PGA veteran Charley Hoffman of the United states taking medalist honors at 11-under 133.
Canada’s David Hearn shared second, one stroke back, to book his US Open berth. Sweden’s Robert Karlsson was also on 134 with compatriot David Lingmerth qualifying for his first US Open on 135.
Seven others made it from an 11-man play-off on 136, including Australian Aaron Baddeley, South African Rory Sabbatini and South Korean Bae Sang-Moon.
Baddeley birdied the first playoff hole to advance while Sabbatini and Bae birdied to advance at the second play-off hole, where South Korean Charlie Wi made bogey to miss out.
Major winner Adam Scott will defend his Australian Masters title this year, attempting to join boyhood idol Greg Norman as the only player to win it back-to-back, organisers said yesterday.
Scott, the US Masters champion and world number three, held off a strong challenge last year from England’s Ian Poulter and said he was keen to hit the Royal Melbourne Golf Club fairways in November.
“I’m excited to be returning to Melbourne to defend my Australian Masters title at Royal Melbourne, one of my favourite courses,” he said.
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