Majors, European TourBrian KeoghUS Open, Walton Heath, Shane Lowry, Padraig HarringtonComment

Lowry US Open bound

Majors, European TourBrian KeoghUS Open, Walton Heath, Shane Lowry, Padraig HarringtonComment
Lowry US Open bound
Picture via USGA/Matthew Harris

Picture via USGA/Matthew Harris

Shane Lowry's sensational run of form continued today when he brilliantly qualified for the US Open by winning the Sectional Qualifier at Walton Heath as Pádraig Harrington missed out by six shots.

Shane Lowry celebrates the monster birdie putt that gave him second place in the BMW PGA on Sunday. Picture courtesy www.BMW-golfsport.com, by Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images

Less than 24 hours after finishing second behind Rory McIlroy in the BMW PGA at Wentworth, the popular Offaly man added a five under par 67 on the Old Course in the afternoon to his three under 69 on the New Course to lead the race for 14 spots at Pinehurst No 2 on eight under par.

FINAL SCORES FROM WALTON HEATH

''I played okay and putted really, really well holing a lot of six to eight footers for par,'' Lowry told AP.

''But after finishing so close to victory yesterday I just carried a lot of momentum from Wentworth into today to get the job done. 'And while I was a little disappointed not to win the BMW PGA at least now I've done it the hard way so that I can join Rory at Pinehurst.''

Not content with simply qualifying, Lowry insisted that he is going to his second US Open [June 12-15] to compete, having proved at Wentworth that he has the game to take on the world's best.

"I am really looking forward to it,"  Lowry told Sky Sports News. "Majors are the tournaments I want to be playing in and right now it looks as though I am going to have a good run of them. 

"I will cement my place into the British Open soon enough and that will mean three majors in the next couple of months [with the world's top 100 qualifying for the US PGA], so that will be nice." 

Asked if he was going to contend given his performance at Wentworth last week, he said: "Yes, exactly. Given the field that was in Wentworth, it wasn't as good as a major field but it is nearly there.

"I felt very comfortable competing down the stretch with Rory McIlroy, Thomas Bjorn and Luke Donald. I felt like I was meant to be there. I was very comfortable and confident in myself."

Lowry chipped in for eagle from around 25 yards early in a rain-sodden second round, high-fiving a groundsman who had spent several minutes with the squeegee, clearing casual water from his line.

But while the Clara man, who will still head to Sweden for this week's Nordea Masters, is heading for his first US Open since he missed the cut at Congressional in 2011, three-time major winner Harrington will miss out on the second major of the season for the first time since 1999.

After opening with a three over 75 on the New Course, the 42-year old Dubliner needed a sensational round on the Old Course in the afternoon but could only managed a one under 71 to finish on two over.

Looking chastened after his first ever US Open Sectional Qualifier, Harrington said: "There is nothing to take away from today bar, you have a go and that's it. I need a week off now to have a bit of a rest and I'll look forward to playing in ten days' time [in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis]. 

"I see some good stuff in my game at times. Today it definitely wasn't good. But I am putting that down to a bit of fatigue because it's been a long couple of weeks. 

"I am really positive about things, trying to stay confident. That's the most important thing — trying to stay upbeat and let it happen."

Speaking to AP, Harrington added: ''The damage was done in the morning with that 75 and just made a few mistakes in not knowing the golf course and I was never comfortable with the pace of the greens, as there was a number of three-putts thrown in there."

Michael Hoey decided not to take part in order to better prepare for this week's Nordea Masters and the Irish Open while Kevin Phelan shot rounds of 74 and 72 to finish tied with Harrington for 51st.

The qualifying mark fell at four under par with six players battling for the last four spots.

In the end Oliver Fisher, Lucas Bjerregaard, Andrea Pavan and Tom Lewis took them, leaving Dane Morten Ørum Madsen and England's Danny Willett to fill the alternate spots.

Fisher, Pavan and Bjerregaard took the first three spots with birdies at first extra hole. Madsen then fell out of playoff with bogey at second extra hole, leading Lewis and Willett to fight it out for the final spot.

In the end it went to Lewis, who holed a 50 footer at the fourth extra hole.

US Open Sectional Qualifying, Walton Heath (14 spots)

Qualifiers

136 (-8) Shane Lowry 69 67

137 (-7) Simon Griffiths, Garth Mulroy, Niclas Fasth

139 (-5) Maximilian Kieffer, Marcel Siem, Shiv Kapur, Brooks Koepka, Graeme Storm, Chris Doak

140 (-4)  Oliver Fisher, Lucas Bjerregaard, Andrea Pavan, Tom Lewis (after a 6-man playoff)

Non-qualifiers

140 (-4) Danny Willett, Morten Ørum Madsen, (alternates),

Full results US Open Championship International Sectional Qualifier 

Final scores

1 Shane LOWRY IRL 69 67 136 -8 Qualified


2 Simon GRIFFITHS ENG 67 70 137 -7 Qualified

Niclas FASTH SWE 67 70 137 -7 Qualified

Garth MULROY RSA 69 68 137 -7 Qualified


5 Chris DOAK SCO 68 71 139 -5 Qualified

Shiv KAPUR IND 68 71 139 -5 Qualified

Maximilian KIEFFER GER 68 71 139 -5 Qualified 

Brooks KOEPKA USA 72 67 139 -5 Qualified

Graeme STORM ENG 68 71 139 -5 Qualified

Marcel SIEM GER 73 66 139 -5 Qualified


11 Lucas BJERREGAARD DEN 69 71 140 -4 Qualified

Morten Ørum MADSEN DEN 70 70 140 -4 Alternate

Oliver FISHER ENG 67 73 140 -4 Qualified

Andrea PAVAN ITA 71 69 140 -4 Qualified

Danny WILLETT ENG 70 70 140 -4 Alternate

Tom LEWIS ENG 71 69 140 -4 Qualified


17 Tyrrell HATTON ENG 70 71 141 -3

Matteo MANASSERO ITA 72 69 141 -3

Stuart MANLEY WA 66 75 141 -3

Garrick PORTEOUS ENG 70 71 141 -3

Matthew BALDWIN ENG 70 71 141 -3

Darren FICHARDT RSA 70 71 141 -3

Ross McGOWAN ENG 70 71 141 -3

Wade ORMSBY AUS 71 70 141 -3

 

25 Sihwan KIM KOR 73 69 142 -2

John HAHN USA 74 68 142 -2

Johan EDFORS SWE 73 69 142 -2

George COETZEE RSA 72 70 142 -2

Roope KAKKO FIN 71 71 142 -2


30 Richard FINCH ENG 71 72 143 -1

Alexander LEVY FRA 74 69 143 -1

Edoardo MOLINARI ITA 72 71 143 -1

Robert KARLSSON SWE 74 69 143 -1

Chris WOOD ENG 75 68 143 -1

Marc WARREN SCO 73 70 143 -1

Robert ROCK ENG 74 69 143 -1


37 Carlos DEL MORAL ESP 74 70 144 0

Ricardo SANTOS POR 70 74 144 0

Victor RIU FRA 72 72 144 0


40 Richard GREEN AUS 71 74 145 1

Romain WATTEL FRA 70 75 145 1

Alejandro CAÑIZARES ESP 69 76 145 1

Grégory BOURDY FRA 72 73 145 1

John PARRY ENG 73 72 145 1

Mikko ILONEN FIN 72 73 145 1

Brett RUMFORD AUS 72 73 145 1

Scott JAMIESON SCO 69 76 145 1

Justin WALTERS RSA 71 74 145 1

Tjaart VAN DER WALT RSA 71 74 145 1

Masahiro KAWAMURA JPN 69 76 145 1

 

51 Kevin PHELAN IRL 74 72 146 2

Jamie MCLEARY SCO 71 75 146 2

Padraig HARRINGTON IRL 75 71 146 2

Grégory HAVRET FRA 70 76 146 2

José María OLAZÁBAL ESP 72 74 146 2


56 Richard BLAND ENG 72 75 147 3

José-Filipe LIMAPOR 71 76 147 3

Jeremy KAVANAGH ENG 77 70 147 3

Alvaro VELASCO ESP 70 77 147 3

Daan HUIZING NED 73 74 147 3


61 Johan CARLSSON SWE 71 77 148 4

Julien QUESNE FRA 71 77 148 4

Gary BOYD ENG 76 72 148 4

Ross FISHER ENG 75 73 148 4


65 Steve LEWTON ENG 74 75 149 5

Simon WAKEFIELD ENG 74 75 149 5

Jack WILSON AUS 76 73 149 5


68 Duncan STEWART SCO 76 74 150 6

Siddikur RAHMAN BAN 74 76 150 6

Nick DOUGHERTY ENG 74 76 150 6

Jason KNUTZON USA 73 77 150 6

Simon KHAN ENG 72 78 150 6

Kieran STAUNTON Eng 71 79 150 6


74 Søren KJELDSEN DEN 73 78 151 7

Brinson PAOLINI USA 74 77 151 7


76 David HOWELL ENG 72 80 152 8

Kristoffer BROBERG SWE 75 77 152 8


78 Phillip ARCHER ENG 74 79 153 9


79 Jordan L SMITH (AM) Eng 82 72 154 10

Peter HEDBLOM SWE 77 77 154 10


81 Mathias GRÖNBERG SWE 80 75 155 11


RETIRED

82 Marco CRESPI ITA 75 RT 190 3

Andy SULLIVAN ENG 74 RT 190 2

Pablo MARTIN BENAVIDES ESP 73 RT 190 1

Steven TILEY ENG 75 RT 190 3

David HORSEY ENG 74 RT 190 2

Nacho ELVIRA ESP 77 RT 190 5

Emiliano GRILLO ARG 73 RT 190 1

Thomas LEVET FRA 77 RT 190 5

Jin JEONG KOR 75 RT 190 3

Jeev Milkha SINGH IND 75 RT 190 3

Alvaro QUIROS ESP 74 RT 190 2

Raphaël JACQUELIN FRA 74 RT 190 2

Dawie VAN DER WALT RSA 76 RT 190 4

Jorge CAMPILLO ESP 71 RT 190 -1

Eddie PEPPERELL ENG 74 RT 190 2

Rikard KARLBERG SWE 74 RT 190 2

Sam WALKER ENG 76 RT 190 4

Robert DINWIDDIE ENG 75 RT 190 3

Daniel IM USA 73 RT 190 1

Andreas HARTØ DEN 75 RT 190 3

Byeong-hun AN KOR 73 RT 190 1

Daniel BROOKS ENG 71 RT 190 -1

Rafa CABRERA-BELLO ESP 74 RT 190 2

Eduardo DE LA RIVA ESP RT 190 0

WD Before the start: Michael Hoey NIR