McDowell falls one shot shy of US Open Qualifying play-off

Bernie McGuire
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Graeme McDowell (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

Bernie McGuire

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Graeme McDowell has missed out by a shot on forcing his way into a US Open qualifying play-off in Dallas, Texas.

It is now a second straight year McDowell has failed to qualify for the year’s third major which takes place mid next month at Brookline.

McDowell produced scores of 70 and 66 to fall one shot shy of being involved in a six-player play-off for the final two of 13 qualifying spots in the Texas city.

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The 2010 US Open champion’s 10-year exemption in winning on Father’s Day along the Pacific Ocean shoreline at Pebble Beach ended after the 2020 US Open.

‘G Mac’ entered final qualifying a year ago, also in Dallas, but the uncertainty of persistent rain delays led to a lot of players, including McDowell, frustratingly pulling the plug on continuing.

McDowell was among 101 players to tee-up Monday morning with the top-13 winning through to next month’s US Open at Brookline in Massachusetts.

He was out first on the Royal Oaks course to the north of the city, posting a one-under-par 70, and it was a round that had everything – an 18th hole eagle ‘3’, four birdies but also three bogeys and a 17th hole double-bogey.  It meant the Lake Nona based golfer bizarrely finished double-bogey, eagle.

After a short break it was then to the Lakewood Country Club course by which time nine players had retired including Pat Perez who played just five holes, to be one-over and apologised to his playing partners and left the course.

Aussie Matt Jones, a former double Australian Open, Houston Open and Honda Classic champion, signed for an opening one-over 72 and also offered his apologies leaving and heading home early to his family.

American Matt Nesbith led the opening 18 holes after a blistering nine-under 62 on the Royal Oaks course as he looked to play a maiden US Open, and with Ben Silverman having shot a 64.

McDowell’s second round was off to a great start with birdies at three and five, and while he bogeyed six, he bounced back with a hat-trick of birdies from the seventh.

However the birdies dried-up with McDowell posting eight straight pars ahead of a closing and 36th hole birdie for a six-under tally to just miss the play-off.

Six players at seven-under went into the play-off with two places available.

In the 36-hole final wash–up in Dallas the following are now headed to Brookline:

Lakewood C.C. and Royal Oaks C.C., Dallas, Texas (May 23)

  • Kurt Kitayama (-11)
  • Matthew Nesmith (-11)
  • Jinichiro Kozuma (-11)
  • Sean Crocker (-11)
  • Andrew Novak (-10)
  • Mackenzie Hughes (-9)
  • Rikuya Hoshino (-9)
  • Ben Silverman (-9)
  • Nick Taylor (-9)
  • Travis Vick (a) (-9)
  • Scott Stallings (-8)
  • Davis Shore (-7)
  • Roger Sloan (-7)

Caledonian Golf Club, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (May 23)

28 participants, 3 spots 

    • Tomoyasu Sugiyama (-9)
    • Daijiro Izumida (-8)
    • Todd Sinnott (-6)

FUTURE & LAST VENUES – June 6:

  • RattleSnake Point Golf Club (CopperHead Course), Milton, Ontario
  • The Olympic Club (Ocean Course), San Francisco, Calif.
  • The Club at Admiral’s Cove (North and West Courses), Jupiter, Fla.
  • Ansley Golf Club (Settindown Creek Course), Roswell, Ga.
  • Woodmont Country Club (North Course), Rockville, Md.
  • Century Country Club and Old Oaks Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.
  • Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club & Wedgewood Golf and Country Club, Columbus, Ohio
  • Springfield Country Club, Springfield, Ohio
  • Pronghorn Resort (Nicklaus Course), Bend, Ore.

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