Monday, May 19th saw three US Open final qualifiers take place worldwide, with one at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, Texas, another in Japan and the third at the 2023 AIG Women’s Open venue, Walton Heath, in Surrey, England.
Those three events are just the precursor to 10 more qualifiers scheduled for June 2nd, when hundreds of hopefuls will compete for the final chance of a place at Oakmont in Golf’s Longest Day.
One of the reasons that day has that nickname is because it requires players to complete 36 holes for the chance to make it to the Major, but it was no less grueling for the players in the three qualifying events that came before it.
At Walton Heath, 100 players faced the prospect of their own 36-hole test of endurance for the chance to book a US Open place, knowing only the top eight would qualify, with the next two having a second chance as alternates.
Jordan Smith had some time to wait to see if his 10-under would be enough after finishing early, but he needn’t have worried as he placed top of the leaderboard to book his third US Open appearance.
Afterwards, Smith said: "I have been playing good for the last couple of months. It was all sort of getting it together on the right week. It was probably one of my best putting displays for a long time today so that always helps but I did feel confident coming into the day."
Joining him in regulation were Swede Joakim Lagergren, four-time DP World Tour winner Guido Migliozzi, 2024 Danish Golf Championship winner Frederic LaCroix and Englishman Sam Bairstow, who will play in the US Open for the second time.
That left just three guaranteed spots up for grabs, with a six-way playoff needed to decide who would take them. Ryan Lumsden, Edoardo Molinari, Jacques Kruyswijk, Robin Williams, Matthew Jordan and Andrea Pavan were the half-dozen who needed to prepare themselves for even more golf after finishing on seven-under, with Molinari, Kruyswijk and Pavan making it through and Lumsden the unlucky player not even getting the consolation of being an alternate.
There were some big names further down the leaderboard who missed out. One was Porsche Singapore Classic winner Richard Mansell, who fell just one shot away from the playoff along with two-time DP World Tour winner Johannes Veerman. Qatar Masters champion Haotong Li finished three away from extra holes, along with 2018 Open champion Francesco Molinari.
Keita Nakajima, Alejandro Del Rey, Jorge Campillo, Adrian Otaegui and Angel Hidalgo, who beat 2021 US Open champion Jon Rahm in a playoff at last year’s Open de Espana, also fell short. Martin Couvra, who won the most recent DP World Tour event, the Turkish Airlines Open, and Robert Rock, who made it through Final Qualifying a year ago, also came up short.
A good number of players didn’t even complete the full 36 holes. One was LIV Golf Riyadh winner Adrian Meronk, who got off to a bright start with a birdie on his first hole, but was four-over after his initial 18. He soldiered on, but by the time he made a bogey at the 15th of his second round, he was 12-over and well out of contention, and that was his last action of the day.
Another LIV Golfer who didn’t make it to the end of the required 36 holes was Sam Horsfield, who carded three-over in his first round before drawing a line under his attempt with the likes of DP World Tour winners Calum Hill, Antoine Rozner, Yannik Paul, Romain Langasque and Nicolas Colsaerts all calling time on their chances before completing the 36 holes.
Alex Fitzpatrick will also not have the chance to emulate his brother’s 2022 US Open win this year after he withdrew on four-over after 18 holes, while 2024 Amateur Champion Jacob Skov Olesen lasted until the end of the 31st hole before ending his challenge at two-over.
Who Made It Through US Open Final Qualifying At Walton Heath
- Jordan Smith
- Joakim Lagergren
- Guido Migliozzi
- Frederic LaCroix
- Sam Bairstow
- Edoardo Molinari
- Jacques Kruyswijk
- Andrea Pavan
- Matthew Jordan (alternate)
- Robin Williams (alternate)
