An overnight rain delay robbed Ryder Cup captain, Padraig Harrington of a first U.S. Open tee time in eight years.
Harrington was lying inside the then top-16 qualifiers and five holes to play on Monday when the heavens opened on the Lakes Golf & Country Club course in suburban Columbus, Ohio.
The venue was one of nine across the U.S. playing host to a 36-hole qualifier for next week’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
The rain persisted in Columbus and forced officials to call a halt to play ahead of a Tuesday morning (local time) restart.
Padraig Harrington finishes one shot shy of earning a US Open tee time
After a morning opening 18 holes of 71, Harrington had the foot down heading into the closing 18 holes to birdie three holes in succession from the fourth and moved to six-under thanks to birdies at eight and 11.
He had just putted out for a par at 13 when play was halted but then in returning early Tuesday Harrington bogeyed 14 and could only manage four other pars in a score of 68 for a combined five-under par 36-hole total.
In the end it was one shot shy of forcing a play-off.
South African Erik van Rooyen and American Chez Reavie leading the Columbus qualifiers at 12-under par.
Fellow Irishman Seamus Power, and with a US flag beside his name, withdrew from his qualifier in Atlanta after an opening 72.
Rosapenna’s Ruaidhri McGee also called time on his challenge after an opening 80 at The Bear’s Club in Florida.
Both Harrington and Power were then headed straight for South Carolina where they will tee-up in this week’s PGA Tour inaugural Palmetto Championship and replace the Covid-19 cancelled Canadian Open.
It will now leave former U.S. Open winner Rory McIlroy and still reigning Open Champion as the only Irish in next week’s 121st hosting of the U.S. Open on the South course at Torrey Pines near San Diego.
Also missing out by a shot in Ohio was Rickie Fowler and to now miss a first U.S. Open that Fowler will miss since 2010. He has three top-10s in the championship, including a tie for second in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst.
Fowler also missed this year’s Masters, the product of a barren stretch of play that saw him drop as low as No. 128 in the World Ranking, and needed a special invitation from the PGA of America to get into the field at the PGA Championship.
He has shown signs of improvement, however, with a T-8 at the PGA—which was his first top-10 on the PGA Tour since January 2020—and the T-11 at last week’s Memorial.
