Faldo qualifies for US Open berth in Orlando
BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2004 US Open | General | 11 Jun 2004
Six-time major champion and Hall of Famer Nick Faldo played his way into his 18th U.S. Open by sharing medalist honors at sectional qualifying Tuesday for the 2004 Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. The Open will be played June 17-20.
In fact, Faldo holed a 6-foot birdie putt on his 36th hole at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla., to shoot 5-under-par 139 and win his spot, as did newly turned professional Camilo Villegas of Colombia, who was a first-team collegiate All-American at the University of Florida in 2004 and PGA Tour player Tripp Isenhour. Faldo has played in every U.S. Open since 1988. His first was in 1984.
Faldo, who finished tied for 45th at the 1995 Open at Shinnecock Hills, was runner-up in 1988 to Curtis Strange, tied for third in 1990, tied for fourth in 1992, seventh in 2000 and tied for fifth in 2002. Faldo’s putt edged out John Cook, who was the alternate at 4-under-par 140.
Faldo, the winner of the 1987, 1990, 1992 British Opens and the 1989, 1990, 1996 Masters Tournaments, and the field endured temperatures in the 90s and high humidity.
“Why?,” Faldo said, “because I wanted to play. When you tee it up here, that was the whole goal, to get to Shinnecock. You put your head down and grind.”
A six-hour and six-minute rain delay at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond, Texas near Houston allowed the field of 32 players to finish only 18 of the scheduled 36 holes. Play will resume Wednesday morning.
France’s Thomas Levet, the British Open runner-up in 2002, and Scott Weatherly of Fort Payne, Ala., won the two spots at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek in Atlanta, Ga., with 7-under-par scores of 137. Levet has now reached the U.S. Open for the second time through qualifying at Settindown Creek.
The PGA Tour’s Billy Andrade (143) and Euan Walters (142), the Australasian Tour’s leading money winner in 2004, failed to qualify at Settindown Creek, as did 2001 U.S. Amateur champion Bubba Dickerson (140).
David Roesch of Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Nationwide Tour player John Elliott qualified at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., with scores of 143 and 144, respectively.
Andrew Tschuden of Australia earned the only berth at Quicksilver Golf Club in Midway, Pa., by shooting 5-under-par 139. A professional for seven years, he has played the last two on the Hooters Tour, winning this year at the Michelob Ultra Classic in Urbana, Ill. in May.
Source – USGA
