Ireland’s Shane Lowry has topped the list of U.S. Open qualifiers a day after missing out by a shot in qualifying automatically for next month’s championship.
Lowry shot rounds of a three under par 69 on Walton Heath’s New Course and then posted a five under par 67 on Old Course for an eight under par total to finish a stroke clear among the 14 leading qualifiers in a starting field of 105 players.
Shane Lowry delighted to finish the leading U. S. Open qualifier at Walton Heath. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
It is the second time in five attempts the 26-year old Dubliner has been successful at Walton Heath in qualifying for a U.S. Open.
The double European Tour winner had secured his biggest pay cheque in finishing runner-up to good friend Rory McIlroy in Sunday’s concluding BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth where a win would have seen Lowry having to avoid teeing up at Walton Heath.
However Lowry continued his good form at Walton Heath despite the wet, cold and miserable conditions.
“I played okay and putted really, really well holing a lot of six to eight footers for par,” he said.
“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.”
Lowry’s second place finish in the BMW PGA Championship saw him jump 68 spot to World No. 74 and the likelihood of adding also August’s PGA Championship to his schedule.
Despite a hectic schedule, Lowry will travel to Sweden to compete in the Nordea Masters before taking time to adjust his summer schedule thanks to his recent performances.
“I’m really looking forward to the U.S. Open,” he said.
“Majors are where I want to be playing and right now it looks like I’m going to have a good run of them. Hopefully I can cement my place in the British Open soon enough and that will mean three Majors in the next couple of months,” he said.
“The field that was at Wentworth was not as good as a Major but it’s nearly there. I felt very comfortable competing down the stretch against Rory McIlroy, Thomas Bjorn and Luke Donald, it felt like I was meant to be there.”
But while Lowry won through to the U.S. Open fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington will now miss a first U.S. Open in 15 years after falling six shots shy of qualifying with rounds of 75 and 71.
Last month, Harrington also failed to qualify for the Masters for a first occasion in 14 years.
“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,” he said.
Harrington will now take a week’s break before returning to the PGA Tour for the June 5th commencing FedEx St.Jude Classic in Memphis.
Shane Lowry (IRL) goes from strength to strength as he wins the USGA US Open Championship International Sectional Qualifier with a total score of -8, from Walton Heath Golf Club, Surrey, UK. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie
The leading qualifiers:
136 Shane Lowry (Irl);
137 Niclas Fasth (Swe), Simon Griffiths (Wal), Garth Mulroy (Rsa);
139 Max Kieffer (Ger), Shiv Kapur (Ind), Graeme Storm (Eng), Chris Doak (Sco), Brooks Koepka (USA);
140 (four players qualified after play-off): Andrea Pavan (Ita), Ollie Fisher (Eng), Lucas Bjerregaard (Den), Tom Lewis (Eng).
Non qualifiers and alternates after play-off: Morten Orum Madsen (Den), Danny Willett (Eng).
