European Tour Release
May 31, 2016: France’s Grégory Bourdy sealed a return to the US Open Championship next month after finishing two shots clear of Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg at the International Sectional Qualifier at Walton Heath.
Four-time European Tour winner Bourdy had hinted at having rediscovered his best form with strong finishes in Ireland and at Wentworth in the last two weeks, and the 34 year old followed a five under par 67 around the New Course in the morning with a four under par 68 around the Old Course to head the 13 players earning spots at Oakmont Country Club.
“It’s one of the biggest tournaments in the world and one of the most difficult usually, so it’s a big challenge, but I like it when it’s tough and it’s great to be there for sure” said, Grégory Bourdy.
Lundberg, a three-time European Tour winner, will make his Major Championship debut after finishing on seven under par overall in cold and blustery conditions in Surrey.
Bourdy’s compatriots Gary Stal and Romain Wattel will join him in the field after both finishing on four under par, where they were matched by Sweden’s Alex Noren.
Englishman Andrew Johnston delighted local crowds by clinching his spot in what will be his debut tournament in America, the 27 year old continuing to ride the wave that brought him a maiden European Tour title in Spain last month and a top ten finish in his home event, the BMW PGA Championship.
His compatriot Lee Slattery also qualified after two rounds of 69, the 38 year old marking a return to the US Open having previously teed it up in 2012 at the Olympic Club, also the venue when Matthew Baldwin – another to win qualification – last appeared in the tournament.
Ryder Cup hero Peter Hanson put a couple of injury-hampered years behind him to earn qualification on three under par alongside Italy’s Matteo Manassero, still only 23 years old but now set for his fourth US Open appearance.
A dramatic five-man play-off followed to determine the final three qualifiers, with Max Kieffer holing from the bunker on the first hole to secure his spot before Soren Hansen birdied the second, where Johan Edfors’ bogey dropped him out of the running.
That left Jeev Milka Singh and Sebastian Soderberg and they both missed putts to win on the third and fourth play-off holes respectively before Soderberg – riding high on the Challenge Tour this season – birdied to earn a maiden Major Championship appearance.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, announced last week as one of Darren Clarke’s vice-captains for this year’s Ryder Cup, bogeyed his final two holes to miss out on the deciding play-off by one shot.
cores after round 2:
135 G Bourdy (Fra) 67 68;
137 M Lundberg (Swe) 68 69;
138 L Slattery (Eng) 69 69;
140 G Stal (Fra) 73 67; M Baldwin (Eng) 70 70; R Wattel (Fra) 70 70; A Noren (Swe) 69 71; A Johnston (Eng) 68 72;
141 M Manassero (Ita) 72 69; P Hanson (Swe) 71 70;
142 M Kieffer (Ger) 73 69; J Edfors (Swe) 73 69; S Soderberg (Swe) 72 70; J Singh (Ind) 71 71; S Hansen (Den) 67 75;
143 P Harrington (Irl) 72 71; M Fraser (Aus) 72 71; D Gaunt (Aus) 71 72; S Gros (Fra) 71 72; S Walker (Eng) 70 73;
144 M Siem (Ger) 75 69; N Elvira (Esp) 74 70; R Sterne (RSA) 72 72; J Hansen (Den) 70 74;
145 O Fisher (Eng) 75 70; R Bland (Eng) 75 70; A Chesters (Eng) 74 71; T Hatton (Eng) 73 72; B Dredge (Wal) 72 73; D Burmester (RSA) 72 73; A Cañizares (Esp) 71 74; R Karlberg (Swe) 71 74; J Quesne (Fra) 70 75;
146 J Campillo (Esp) 75 71; D Im (USA) 75 71; S Khan (Eng) 75 71; R Ramsay (Sco) 74 72; G Drakeford (Aus) 72 74; G Coetzee (RSA) 72 74; H Endycott (am) (Aus) 70 76;
147 R Fisher (Eng) 76 71; T Pilkadaris (Aus) 74 73; P Larrazábal (Esp) 74 73; D Bransdon (Aus) 74 73; S Webster (Eng) 74 73; M Madsen (Den) 73 74; P Dunne (Irl) 71 76;
148 R McGowan (Eng) 76 72; M Orrin (Eng) 75 73; M Ilonen (Fin) 75 73; C Shinkwin (Eng) 74 74; C Davis (am) (Aus) 73 75; T Lewis (Eng) 72 76; B Hebert (Fra) 72 76; J Winther (Den) 69 79;
149 J Scrivener (Aus) 75 74; R Fox (Nzl) 75 74; J Walters (RSA) 74 75; G Havret (Fra) 70 79;
150 J McLeary (Sco) 77 73; R Davies (Wal) 74 76; L Bjerregaard (Den) 72 78;
151 J Smith (Eng) 74 77; S Lee (Kor) 73 78;
152 Z Lombard (RSA) 76 76; M Foster (Eng) 76 76; J Dantorp (Swe) 75 77;
154 B Robinson (Eng) 75 79; R Paratore (Ita) 75 79;
156 S Sharma (Ind) 83 73;
157 V Riu (Fra) 81 76; B Conser (USA) 77 80; P Lawrie (Irl) 76 81;
190 H Porteous (RSA) 70 DQ; E Goya (Arg) 70 DQ; P Peterson (USA) 78 DQ; T Pieters (Bel) 71 RT; J Carlsson (Swe) 72 RT; H Li (Chn) 73 RT; F Zanotti (Par) 73 RT; E Molinari (Ita) 73 RT; B Virto Astudillo (Esp) 75 RT; D Lipsky (USA) 75 RT; T Van Der Walt (RSA) 75 RT; A Dodt (Aus) 75 RT; R Kakko (Fin) 76 RT; S Hend (Aus) 78 RT; R Dinwiddie (Eng) 79 RT; P Meesawat (Tha) 76 WD; R Gouveia (Por) 76 WD; S Arnold (Aus) 77 WD; D Brooks (Eng) 77 WD; S Kapur (Ind) 77 WD; J Lagergren (Swe) 77 WD; R Rock (Eng) 78 WD; J Wang (Kor) RT 0; D Drysdale (Sco) RT 0; R Green (Aus) WD 0; M Warren (Sco) WD 0; B Evans (Eng) WD 0; D Horsey (Eng) WD 0;
