Pádraig Harrington narrowly misses out on US Open qualification
PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON MISSED out on a place at next week's US Open by the slenderest of margins despite shooting a 66 in the final round of qualifying in Columbus, Ohio.
Three-time major winner Harrington was one shot off joining a play-off at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club, where the top six players booked their spots at Oakmont on 12 June.
Harrington's initial two-over-par 74 appeared to blow his chances but the Dubliner caught a heater on the front nine of his second 18, moving six under par through 11 holes for that round — four under overall — and into a tie for sixth, which would have been enough to seal a play-off.
The birdies dried up from there, however, and a dropped shot on 17 all but ended Harrington's chances of booking a return to the US Open, in which he last competed in 2023. A birdie on the last wasn't enough to reenter the play-off picture.
Graeme McDowell still has a chance of joining Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry at Oakmont after his final qualifier at Florida's Emerald Dunes was suspended due to inclement weather.
The 2010 US Open champion sits on -4 overall, three shots shy of the provisional cut mark and in a share of 15th, with eight holes still to play. There are just four qualifying places on offer at Palm Beach.
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Seámus Power, Tom McKibbin and amateur Patrick Keeling all missed out on qualification at their respective tournaments.
South African Eric van Rooyen and Australian Marc Leishman were among those who earned berths at Oakmont next week from the final 36-hole qualifiers on Monday.
Van Rooyen fired rounds of 64 and 67 to finish first on 13-under 131, with Americans Bud Cauley, Justin Lower and Lanto Griffin sharing second on 137 and countryman Harrison Ott on 138.
That left a five-man playoff for the final available US Open berth, a fight that included US PGA Tour players Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, Eric Cole and Cameron Young plus compatriot Chase Johnson.
Young won the spot with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
Homa was notable as the only player carrying his own bag through the all-day affair.
Van Rooyen, 35, missed the cut in his last three US Open starts over the past four years after making his best finish, a share of 23rd, in 2020.
He is a two-time PGA Tour winner, most recently at Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in 2023, and was a runner-up at last month's CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament.
At Woodmont in suburban Washington, Americans Ryan McCormack and Trevor Cone took the lead, claiming two US Open spots.
That left a three-way playoff for two final US Open spots between Australian Marc Leishman, Colombian Sebastian Munoz from LIV Golf and American Bryan Lee.
Leishman, who won his first LIV Golf title in April at Miami, and Lee parred the first two extra holes and booked their berths at Oakmont when Munoz lipped out a par putt to make bogey on the second playoff hole.
At Lambton in York, Canada, it was American Kevin Velo setting the pace — but six others joined him including Danes Niklas Norgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen, England's Matt Wallace, Argentina's Emiliano Grillo, American Mark Hubbard and France's Victor Perez.
Americans James Nicholas and Chris Gotterup led four qualifiers at Canoe Brook in Summit, New Jersey, with Mexico's Roberto Diaz and US amateur Ben James taking the last spots.
American Zach Bauchou led qualifiers at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, with Mexicans Alvaro Ortiz and Emilio Gonzalez and American Alistair Docherty one stroke back to also qualify.
– © AFP 2025, with reporting from Gavan Casey
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