Golf

Seamus Power becomes fourth Irish golfer to qualify for US Open

Waterford man joins three other Irish players in the field for North Carolina - Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Tom McKibbin

Seamus Power: came through the Columbus US Open qualifier in Ohio State, finishing joint first in the field. Photograph: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Seamus Power: came through the Columbus US Open qualifier in Ohio State, finishing joint first in the field. Photograph: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Tue Jun 04 2024 - 13:28

Seamus Power has become the fourth Irish golfer to qualify for the US Open at Pinehurst next week, after he came through the Columbus qualifier in Ohio State, finishing joint first in the field.

The Waterford man birdied the final hole, thus securing his place and avoiding having to take part in a play off for the final spots.

It will be Power’s third successive appearance at a US Open, and he joins three other Irish players in the field for North Carolina – Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Tom McKibbin.

PGA Tour veteran Matt Kuchar and 2012 US Open winner Webb Simpson also successfully qualified for this year’s tournament the old-fashioned way.

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Kuchar and Simpson were among those who secured their spots in this month’s Major championship via final qualifying on Monday, often called “Golf’s Longest Day”.

A total of 672 players competed in 36-hole qualifiers at locations around the United States and Canada to try to earn one of 44 available spots in the field at the US Open

Kuchar, 45, was the winner at his qualifying site. While Kuchar has never won a Major, he has nine wins on the PGA Tour and once rated as high as number four in the official world rankings. However, due to a lack of recent success, he did not qualify for any exemptions into the US Open field.

Simpson’s exemption for winning the 2012 US Open expired after 2022, though he also got into the 2023 field. He hasn’t made a cut at a Major since the 2022 PGA Championship.

Australia’s Adam Scott is in danger of missing the US Open, which would end the longest active streak of Major starts in the sport. He has played in every Major since the 2001 Open Championship, a stretch of 91 straight events. However, he is not exempt for this year’s edition.

He failed to secure a place at Springfield (Ohio) Country Club, but there is one more chance for Scott to receive an exemption. Anyone in the top 60 of the world rankings as of June 10th will be invited if not already eligible. Scott enters the week at exactly number 60, and he will not play in the Memorial later this week.

LIV Golf member Dean Burmester of South Africa tied for second in Florida, one stroke behind Kuchar. However, fellow LIV player Joaquin Niemann of Chile finished one stroke out of a 3-for-1 playoff for the fifth and final spot.

The US Open will be played June 13th-16th at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in North Carolina.