London’s Andrew Johnston has secured a debut appearance in the US Open after bagging one of 13 spots available via a qualifying tournament held at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey.
Johnston, who comes from Finchley in North London, came into the 36-hole tournament in solid form, having won the Spanish Open last month, and finished tied seventh at the BMW PGA Championship just 24 hours earlier, where he shot a closing 67 to finish four shots behind Chris Wood.
Johnston fired rounds of 68 and 72 to finish on four under par over Walton Heath’s Old and New courses and tie for fourth.
“I can’t wait to get out to Oakmont,” said Johnston, whose only previous major appearance was at The Open in 2011, when he missed the cut. “I’ve been watching it for 20 years, so it’s exciting. I’ve only played one Major championship before, and I’ve never played in America at all, so I’m really looking forward to it. Last year was tough, it felt like every week I was just fighting, but then this year I’ve made a really good start, so I’ve just got to try to build on that.”
Leading the 13 qualifiers was France’s Grégory Bourdy, who sealed a return to the US Open after finishing two shots clear of Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg. Four-time European Tour winner Bourdy had hinted at having rediscovered his best form with strong finishes in Ireland and at Wentworth in the last two weeks, and the 34 year old followed a five under par 67 around the New Course in the morning with a four under par 68 around the Old Course.
Bourdy’s compatriots Gary Stal and Romain Wattel will join him in the field after both finishing on four under par, where they were matched by Sweden’s Alex Noren and Johnston.
Lee Slattery also qualified after two rounds of 69, the 38 year old marking a return to the US Open having previously teed it up in 2012 at the Olympic Club, also the venue when Matthew Baldwin – another to win qualification – last appeared in the tournament. Ryder Cup hero Peter Hanson put a couple of injury-hampered years behind him to earn qualification on three under par alongside Italy’s Matteo Manassero, still only 23 years old, but now set for his fourth US Open appearance.
A dramatic five-man play-off followed to determine the final three qualifiers, with Max Kieffer holing from the bunker on the first hole to secure his spot, before Soren Hansen birdied the second, where Johan Edfors’ bogey dropped him out of the running. That left Jeev Milka Singh and Sebastian Soderbergh, and they both missed putts to win on the third and fourth play-off holes respectively before Soderberg birdied to earn a maiden Major championship appearance.
Padraig Harrington bogeyed his final two holes to miss out on the deciding play-off by one shot.