Dean Burmester was the lone South African to prevail in the final day of qualifying across the UK and various United States venues, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
Burmester will join invitee Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Charl Schwartzel and Dylan Frittelli in the field at Shinnecock Hills from 14-18 June.
The 2017 Tshwane Open winner was one of 14 players to come through the 36-hole qualifier at Walton Heath in Surrey after a nervy second round. Burmester put himself in a good position with an opening 66 but was +1 through seven in his second loop as he stood on the number.
Two birdies followed on 8th and 9th before he closed with nine straight pars to punch his ticket to the 118th playing of the US Open. He joins Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, one of four Englishman to prevail, last week’s winner Thorbjorn Olesen and Kiwi Ryan Fox on the list of entrants for the year’s second Major.
Burmester was one of 10 Saffas in the field with Brandon Stone and Richard Sterne withdrawing.
In the States, there wasn’t any success to report on after Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini failed to make the playoff at the Tennessee section qualifier. Goosen finished three off the pace with his colleague one off his mark while American Steve Stricker played his way to Shinnecock Hills.
Daniel Van Tonder missed the playoff mark by five strokes at the Springfield section qualifier while Dawie van der Walt opted to withdraw from his qualifier in Texas.
Adam Scott, 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley and Ireland’s Shane Lowery all played their way into the field. Scott only decided on Sunday that he would attempt to play his way into the US Open and by doing so he kept his streak of 67 Major appearances; second only to Sergio Garcia’s run of 75.
‘It’s a nice streak to keep going… it was a bit of a grind, but somehow I’ve snuck through,’ said Scott, a former world number one who hasn’t missed a Major in almost 17 years.
‘You get out there and you play hard. Not all the time do we do that. We play a lot of tournaments year in year out, but today was show up or go home. I got off to a good start, which was nice, but it was tough out here this afternoon and I somehow managed to hang in there.’
Bradley can’t wait to play in another Major.
‘It means everything to me to play, because I’ve had to battle back to get into these tournaments [major championships], and every one that I can get myself into feels good,’ Bradley said.
‘I don’t think anyone enjoys the US Open. I look forward to getting my teeth kicked in at Shinnecock, but anytime you can play in a major, it’s big.’
