Thomas Aiken, Branden Grace, Erik van Rooyen, Charl Schwartzel and Dylan Frittelli have all secured qualifying spots for the US Open.
Aiken and Grace qualified on Monday at The Bear’s Club, while Schwartzel, Frittelli and Van Rooyen booked their spots at Brookside. They will join fellow countrymen Louis Oosthuizen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Garrick Higgo and Wilco Nienaber.
Meanwhile, Rickie Fowler’s bid to qualify for the US Open ended in disappointment on Tuesday, the out-of-form American world No 87 missing out on a spot at Torrey Pines by one shot.
Fowler, who finished tied for eighth place at last month’s PGA Championship but also failed to qualify for this year’s Masters, has not missed a US Open since 2010.
The 32-year-old, who finished tied for 11th at The Memorial this past Sunday, had been hoping to grab an Open berth in the 36-hole qualifier played on two courses in Ohio on Monday.
He carded a one-over-par 73 in his opening round at Brookside Golf and Country Club on Monday before completing a weather-interrupted six-under-par 66 at The Lakes Golf and Country Club early Tuesday.
That left him on five under for the two rounds, just outside the top-16 qualifying berths.
Other players who missed out alongside Fowler on Tuesday included three-time Major champion Padraig Harrington and 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley.
A trio of South African players – Erik van Rooyen, Charl Schwartzel and Dylan Frittelli – all secured qualifying spots.
The 121st US Open takes place at Torrey Pines outside San Diego, California from 17-20 June.
© Agence France-Presse
