Thirteen ANZ players confirmed for US Open
BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2006 US Open | General | 06 Jun 2006
Five more Australasians have joined the field for the 2006 US Open Championship, the second Major of the year, after successfully progressing through Sectional Qualifying today.
Australians Richard Green, Scott Hend, Mathew Goggin and Nathan Green and New Zealand’s Phil Tataurangi will join fellow Australasians already in the field including defending Champion Michael Campbell (NZL), Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, Mark Hensby, Nick O’Hern, Geoff Ogilvy, Rod Pampling and Adam Scott, although Robert Allenby’s appearance is in doubt due to a debilitating back injury.
That takes the total Australasian contingent to 13 who will head to New York later this month, just two short of the highest representation of Australasians at a US Open. However, three more Australians, namely James Nitties, Nick Flanagan and Stuart Deane are still to vie for three of four places available in Atlanta Georgia tomorrow.
The Australasian record for the highest number of players at the US Open was created last year when a total of 15 Australasians (13 Australians and 2 New Zealanders) competed at Pinehurst No 2 when the title was won by New Zealander Michael Campbell.
A total of 73 qualifying spots in the US Open field of 156 players were available prior to the beginning of sectional qualifying at 14 sites today and Wednesday (US time). Three spots had previously been earned May 29 in Japan.
Richard Green was the sole Australian to qualify in Surrey, England. He grabbed one of the eight spots on offer to 47 players who teed off at Walton Heath and finished T5 with rounds of 71 & 67.
Hend and Tataurangi were two of 153 players vying for 18 spots at the Canoe Brook US Open sectional qualifier where Michelle Wie was also vying for a place in the Open and a place in golf history by becoming the first woman to qualify, but three straight bogeys on the final holes Monday afternoon (US time) sent her to a 3-over 75 and into the middle of the pack. Hend and Tataurangi shot rounds of 68 & 69 and 71 & 66 to finish T13.
Goggin and Nathan Green were successful at the Brookside Golf &Country Club and Lakes Golf & Country Club in Columbus, Ohio where 144 players battled for 21 spots. Goggin shot rounds of 66 & 71 to finish T11th and Green shot two rounds of 69 to finish T16th.
Those Australasians who missed out on successfully qualifying for the 2006 US Open today were Steve Allan, Aaron Baddeley, Matthew Ballard, Greg Chalmers, Steve Elkington, Peter Fowler, Marcus Fraser, Brad Heaven NZL, Brendan Jones, Stephen Leaney, Peter Lonard, David McKenzie, Peter O’Malley, Wade Ormsby, Craig Parry, Wayne Perske, Brett Rumford, John Senden and David Smail.
More than 750 players will have contested qualifying to determine the remaining 77 places in the field when Sectional Qualifying finishes tomorrow.
The 2006 US Open begins on June 15 at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.
Source – PGA Tour
