England’s Nick Dougherty, South African Darren Fichardt and Swede Peter Hanson led the nine qualifiers bound for Oakmont after successfully progressing through the US Open Sectional Qualifier at Walton Heath.
The three joint medalists will head for the season’s second Major Championship, to be played at Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania, from June 14-17, having topped the field at eight under par 136.
Marcus Fraser of Australia, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell and Argentina’s Miguel Rodriguez, who struck a blow for the Challenge Tour, all made it through on seven under par 137 and Sam Walker of England will play in his first Major Championship having qualified on six under par 138.
The final two places went to Dane Søren Kjeldsen and his playing partner Christian Cevaer of France, who claimed the last spot by bravely holing a 12 foot par putt on the final hole.
The achievement of Walker was arguably the performance of the day as the 29 year old has missed nine of his last ten halfway cuts is 189th on The European Tour Order of Merit but qualified at the first time of asking, despite a sleepless night as thoughts of winning a place for the US Open kept him awake the night before.
He said: "This is a great achievement for me - but I just wish my Nan was here to see it.
"She used to follow me every single day of the week, but died four weeks ago.”
Walker was inspired by fellow Englishman Kenneth Ferrie, who finished joint sixth on his US Open debut last year at Winged Foot.
“I feel if I can go there and take the positives, I could go from strength to strength like Kenneth Ferrie last year. He gives everyone motivation and did himself proud and did England proud.”
With rounds of 68 and 68 over Walton Heath’s New and Old courses, Hanson claimed top honours for the second time in three years having also won the qualifier in 2005, when he went on to play in his first Major Championship.
“I like it here,” he beamed. “We said eight under was the target for two rounds. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it adds pressure. Two years ago I qualified for Pinehurst and that was my first Major. I have played a few since then and know a little more about it. I haven’t played well the last couple of weeks but found something here. It is going to be good at Oakmont.”
Dougherty, who also qualified two years ago, was equally thrilled after his rounds of 66 and 70 and said: "I can't understand why guys pulled out of this.
“This is my first win in two years. I’m claiming this as a shared win. I didn’t play that well in the afternoon but in the end it is about getting through. The US Open was my first Major when I qualified here two years ago and I didn’t have to qualify last year. I'm pleased to keep that run of playing in it going. It's the only cut I’ve made in the five Majors I’ve played in as well. I am looking forward to it especially after hearing what Tiger said about Oakmont. I really get excited about playing courses that difficult and if he says it is the toughest course he has seen then it is going to be pretty cool.”
Fichardt, who missed out on Open Qualifying in a play-off last year, shared top honours and plans on visiting his brother in America before heading to Oakmont for his first US Open.
Rodriguez will face a daunting challenge when he tees up at Oakmont. Last week he was playing on the Challenge Tour in the Oceanico Developments Pro-Am Challenge in Manchester and was scheduled to play in St Omer next week. Now, after rounds of 71 and 66, the winner of the Kai Fieberg Costa Rica Open will line-up against the world’s best players.
Cévaër looked as if he might drop back into a play-off for the final qualifying spot when he found trouble off the tee on the final hole of the Old Course. He sensibly chipped out and then pitched to 12 feet and converted the putt to claim the last ticket to Oakmont.
One other player will however also be heading that way. American amateur Nathan Smith lives a mere 20 miles from Oakmont in Pittsburgh but received a call from the USGA so say a spot had become available in the Sectional Qualifying, the only drawback being that it was in Surrey, England
The Financial Advisor admitted he would "swim over the pond if it meant a chance to play in the US Open”, and promptly booked a flight with his father for his first ever trip to England. Although he failed to win one of the nine places on offer, he did claim the medal as the leading amateur golfer on three over par and takes home with him a host of fond memories from Walton Heath. And he also plans to be at Oakmont next week, now simply as a spectator.
Ryder Cup players Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, however, both failed to make it through.
"The current state of my game is not good for the US Open any way, so it is maybe not such a bad thing," said the Ulsterman after rounds of 75 and 72.
McGinley's two 71s were not sufficient either and the Dubliner commented: "I'm not scaling the heights. I never got hot at any stage."
Elsewhere, two European Tour Champions from The 2007 European Tour International Schedule, also earned a place in the US Open through Sectional Qualifying. Australian Nathan Green and Spain's Pablo Martin, winners of the Blue Chip New Zealand Open and the Estoril Open de Portugal respectively, secured a berth for Oakmont through the qualifier in Columbus, Ohio.
For full results and qualifiers, click here
