Ten LIV Golf stars entered U.S. Open qualifying across three worldwide venues on Monday, but only one did enough to book themselves a spot at Pinehurst next month
Just one LIV Golf star earned a spot at next month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 following qualifying across three worldwide venues on Monday.
Dallas, Surrey and Hino in Japan were all used as hosting spots for Monday’s qualifying stage, with 23 places in the third major championship of the year up for grabs. Three of those were on offer at the event in Asia, whilst 11 were handed out in the United States and nine at Walton Heath.
Across two of those venues – in Hino and Dallas – ten players from the LIV Golf setup opted to enter, as the breakaway league’s representation in the majors continues to dwindle due to their lack of Official World Golf Ranking recognition.
In total however just one of them made the cut, in Spanish starlet Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra. The 24-year-old battled it out Dallas Athletic Club, and across his 36 holes carded six-under-par to finish a tie for second. This proved to be enough to book him a spot in his first major championship of his career in June.
Elsewhere in the States a whole host of LIV’s biggest names opted to take to the course, including Lopez-Chacarra’s Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia. The former Masters champion has competed in every U.S. Open since 2000, but his remarkable run came to an end on Monday – although as first alternate he does still have a chance should there be any withdrawals.
Garcia was forced to turn to qualifying for the second-straight year this week following his fall down the world rankings. This time around though it was not to be for the former PGA Tour star, after losing out in a six-for-seven man playoff having carded three-under across his two rounds.
Garcia’s six rivals in the additional hole all made either birdie or par, whilst the LIV star carded a frustrating bogey. The Dallas qualifier also saw another remarkable run end, this time for Patrick Reed.
Reed has competed in every major championship since 2014, but the 2018 Masters champion will have to sit out next month’s trip to Pinehurst having withdrawn from Monday’s qualifier. Other members from the LIV roster who played in Texas included Kevin Na,Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer and Brendan Steele, but they too all missed out.
Youngster Caleb Surratt was also looking to book his first ever start on the major stage, but fell four shots short of the seven-for-six playoff. Arguably the biggest name to prevail in Dallas though was European legend Francesco Molinari, who was forced to turn to qualifying after his five-year exemption for winning the 2018 Open ran out last year.
Whilst no LIV players opted to head to Surrey, two competed at Hino Golf Club in Japan. Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent was one of those, having fell short in a five-for-one playoff. Japan’s own Jinichiro Kozuma also tried his luck over 36 holes, but finished a shot further back of Vincent and therefore missed out.
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