CHRIS DOAK ONLY SCOT TO WIN A PLACE

SHANE LOWRY LEADS QUALIFIERS FOR 

US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AT PINEHURST
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS NEWS RELEASE

Shane Lowry, pictured above in his moment of delight, took his fine form from Wentworth to Walton Heath today to bag a place in the US Open Championship at Pinehurst next month.

The Irishman was runner-up in the BMW PGA Championship, and gave himself another reason to celebrate by finishing top of the pile at International Qualifying. His eight under par total – 69 on the New Course in the morning and 67 on the Old in the afternoon – was all the more impressive, given the heavy rain all day at the Surrey venue.

“It was really tough out there,” said Lowry. “I played okay and putted really, really well. I holed a lot of six to eight footers for par and carried a lot of momentum in from yesterday to get the job done. I was three under this morning and this afternoon chipped in for eagle to get to five, so that got me going.

“I just tried to play steady from there and not lose my head. It was tough last week and then 36 holes in this weather was very tiring. I’m looking forward to my bed tonight.

“I can’t wait to get to Pinehurst. Majors are where I want to be playing. Last week I was comfortable competing down the stretch with the likes of Thomas Björn, Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, so I’ve got a lot of confidence and I’ll take that with me to Pinehurst.”

A total of 105 players turned out in hope of winning one of the 14 spots on offer, plus two alternates. 

In addition to Lowry, those to automatically win a spot were Swede Niclas Fasth, Englishmen Simon Griffiths and Graeme Storm, Germans Marcel Siem and Max Kieffer, Scot Chris Doak, South African Garth Mulroy and American Brooks Koepka.

Six players had to play off for the final four spots. England’s Oliver Fisher, Italian Andrea Pavan and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard all made birdie at the first extra hole to claim the first three places, and the last to make the grade was Tom Lewis, courtesy of a 30 foot birdie putt, leaving Morten Madsen and Danny Willett as alternates.

US Open Championship International 
Sectional Qualifier
FINAL TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
QUALIFIERS
1 Shane LOWRY IRL 69 67 136
2 Simon GRIFFITHS ENG 67 70 137
Niclas FASTH SWE 67 70 137
Garth MULROY RSA 69 68 137
5 Chris DOAK SCO 68 71 139
Shiv KAPUR IND 68 71 139 
Maximilian KIEFFER GER 68 71 139 
Brooks KOEPKA USA 72 67 139
Graeme STORM ENG 68 71 139
Marcel SIEM GER 73 66 139 
 AFTER PLAY-OFF
Tom LEWIS ENG 71 69 140

Lucas BJERREGAARD DEN 69 71 140

Andrea PAVAN ITA 71 69 140

Oliver FISHER ENG 67 73 140 

ALTERNATES

Morten Ørum MADSEN DEN 70 70 140
Danny WILLETT ENG 70 70 140 

OTHER SCORES
Tyrrell HATTON ENG 70 71 141
Matteo MANASSERO ITA 72 69 141
Stuart MANLEY WA 66 75 141 
Garrick PORTEOUS ENG 70 71 141 
Matthew BALDWIN ENG 70 71 141
Darren FICHARDT RSA 70 71 141
Ross McGOWAN ENG 70 71 141 
Wade ORMSBY AUS 71 70 141
Sihwan KIM KOR 73 69 142
John HAHN USA 74 68 142
Johan EDFORS SWE 73 69 142
George COETZEE RSA 72 70 142 
Roope KAKKO FIN 71 71 142 
Richard FINCH ENG 71 72 143 
Alexander LEVY FRA 74 69 143
Edoardo MOLINARI ITA 72 71 143
Robert KARLSSON SWE 74 69 143
Chris WOOD ENG 75 68 143 
Marc WARREN SCO 73 70 143
Robert ROCK ENG 74 69 143 
Carlos DEL MORAL ESP 74 70 144
Ricardo SANTOS POR 70 74 144 
Victor RIU FRA 72 72 144 
Richard GREEN AUS 71 74 145
Romain WATTEL FRA 70 75 145 
Alejandro CAÑIZARES ESP 69 76 145
Grégory BOURDY FRA 72 73 145
John PARRY ENG 73 72 145
Mikko ILONEN FIN 72 73 145
Brett RUMFORD AUS 72 73 145
Scott JAMIESON SCO 69 76 145
Justin WALTERS RSA 71 74 145
Tjaart VAN DER WALT RSA 71 74 145
Masahiro KAWAMURA JPN 69 76 145 
Kevin PHELAN IRL 74 72 146
Jamie MCLEARY SCO 71 75 146
Padraig HARRINGTON IRL 75 71 146
Grégory HAVRET FRA 70 76 146 
José María OLAZÁBAL ESP 72 74 146
Richard BLAND ENG 72 75 147
José-Filipe LIMA POR 71 76 147
Jeremy KAVANAGH ENG 77 70 147
Alvaro VELASCO ESP 70 77 147
Daan HUIZING NED 73 74 147
61 Johan CARLSSON SWE 71 77 148
Julien QUESNE FRA 71 77 148
Gary BOYD ENG 76 72 148
Ross FISHER ENG 75 73 148 
Steve LEWTON ENG 74 75 149
Simon WAKEFIELD ENG 74 75 149
Jack WILSON AUS 76 73 149 
Duncan STEWART SCO 76 74 150
Siddikur RAHMAN BAN 74 76 150
Nick DOUGHERTY ENG 74 76 150
Jason KNUTZON USA 73 77 150
Simon KHAN ENG 72 78 150
Kieran STAUNTON Eng 71 79 150 
Søren KJELDSEN DEN 73 78 151
Brinson PAOLINI USA 74 77 151 
David HOWELL ENG 72 80 152
Kristoffer BROBERG SWE 75 77 152 
Phillip ARCHER ENG 74 79 153 
Jordan L SMITH (AM) Eng 82 72 154
Peter HEDBLOM SWE 77 77 154 
Mathias GRÖNBERG SWE 80 75 155 
RETIRED
Marco CRESPI ITA 75
Andy SULLIVAN ENG 74
Pablo MARTIN BENAVIDES ESP 73
Steven TILEY ENG 75
David HORSEY ENG 74 
Nacho ELVIRA ESP 77 
Emiliano GRILLO ARG 73 
Thomas LEVET FRA 77 
Jin JEONG SKOR 75
Jeev Milkha SINGH IND 75
Alvaro QUIROS ESP 74 
Raphaël JACQUELIN FRA 74 
Dawie VAN DER WALT RSA 76 
Jorge CAMPILLO ESP 71 
Eddie PEPPERELL ENG 74
Rikard KARLBERG SWE 74
Sam WALKER ENG 76
Robert DINWIDDIE ENG 75
Daniel IM USA 73
Andreas HARTØ DEN 75
Byeong-hun AN SKOR 73
Daniel BROOKS ENG 71
Rafa CABRERA-BELLO ESP 74
Eduardo DE LA RIVA ESP NR