Golf’s Longest Day, where 10 US Open final qualifiers will see hopefuls compete over a grueling 36 holes for a place at the Major, may be two weeks away, but for some players, the chance to book a place at Oakmont came early.
One qualifier took place at Tarao Country Club in Japan, where Yuta Sugiura, Scott Vincent and Jinichiro Kozuma secured their places in the Major, while at Walton Heath in England, Jordan Smith, Joakim Lagergren, Guido Migliozzi, Frederic LaCroix, Sam Bairstow, Edoardo Molinari, Jacques Kruyswijk and Andrea Pavan made it through.
That left attention to turn to Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, where an initial field of 86 was named for the 36-hole contest to secure just seven places.
Dane Rasmus Neergard-Petersen finished top on 11-under for his two rounds, meaning he will make his first appearance at the Major, which begins on 12th June.
PGA Tour pros James Hahn and Adam Schenk shared second, one behind Neergard-Petersen, to ensure their safe passage to Oakmont, while they were joined by amateurs Lance Simpson and Cameron Tankersley and LIV Golfer Carlos Ortiz, with the three finishing in a tie for fourth at eight-under.
That left just one place available, and for the players finishing on seven-under, a playoff was required, leaving Johnny Keefer, amateur Preston Stout, Cristobal Del Solar, Doug Ghim, Cameron Tringale, Mac Meissner and Eugenio Chacarra, who had led earlier on, to battle it out. In the end, it came down to Keefer and Ghim, with Keefer claiming the precious final spot on the fourth extra hole. Ghim and Tringale are alternates.
There were some big names who missed out, most notably Sergio Garcia, who moved above and below the projected cut line several times before missing a birdie putt at the last and going on to make a bogey, leaving him one beneath the cut line. Without alternate status as a back-up, that means his run of 25 consecutive US Opens is now surely at an end.
Garcia's disappointment comes just one day after he finished T67 at the PGA Championship, a performance that led to him playing down his chances of making the European Ryder Cup team. Garcia's fellow LIV Golfers Abraham Ancer and Caleb Surratt also failed to finish above the cut line.
Other notable players to fall short included PGA Tour pros Alejandro Tosti, Peter Malnati, Cameron Champ, Charley Hoffman, Scott Piercy and Austin Eckroat, who placed T10 at the 2023 US Open.
Meanwhile, it was also a step too far for Good Good star Sean Walsh, who advanced to Final Qualifying after winning a local qualifier the previous week. However, he finished on two-over to miss out.
Another PGA Tour pro, Taylor Moore, played the first nine holes, but at five-over, didn’t take his challenge any further, while it was a similar story for Aaron Baddeley and Joel Dahmen, who both called it a day during their second 18. LIV Golfer Talor Gooch also didn't see out the day, dropping out after playing 15 holes at one-over.
A good number of the initial field didn’t even make it as far as the course, withdrawing beforehand. Among them were PGA Tour pros Ryan Moore, Tom Kim and Mackenzie Hughes, and another LIV Golfer, Branden Grace.
US Open final qualifying scores: Dallas
- -11 Rasmus Neergard Petersen (qualified)
- -10 James Hahn (qualified)
- -10 Adam Schenk (qualified)
- -8 Lance Simpson (a) (qualified)
- -8 Cameron Tankersley (a) (qualified)
- -8 Carlos Ortiz (qualified)
- -7 Johnny Keefer (qualified via playoff)
- -7 Doug Ghim
- -7 Cameron Tringale
- -7 Mac Meissner
- -7 Cristobal Del Solar
- -7 Preston Stout (a)
- -7 Eugenio Chacarra
- -6 Carson Young
- -6 Alejandro Tosti
- -6 Myles Creighton
- -6 Chandler Phillips
- -6 Sergio Garcia
- -6 Brandon Jelley
- -6 Peter Malnati
- -6 Matthias Schmid
