Justin Leonard clinches US Open spot after three-year absence
1997 British Open champion, who has won 12 times on the PGA Tour but not since 2008, was among 16 players at Columbus who qualified
After three years of coming up short in qualifying, Justin Leonard has earned a return to the US Open.
The 1997 British Open champion, who has won 12 times on the PGA Tour but not since 2008, was among 16 players at Columbus who qualified for the US Open, which starts on June 12 at Pinehurst.
"It'll be fun," said Leonard, who'll turn 42 on the day of the Open's final round. "And Pinehurst is one of my favourites, so a little extra incentive there."
I played really nice last week. I made like a million birdies. I just made way too many bogeys
Leonard was a co-medallist through 36 holes at the Brookside and Scioto courses.
Among those also qualifying were Bo Van Pelt, Mark Wilson, Kevin Tway and Luke Guthrie, South Korea's Noh Seung-yul and Kim Hyung-sung, Australia's Aaron Baddeley and Rod Pampling and England's Paul Casey.
After 18 holes on each of two difficult courses (following four rounds nearby at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village), Baddeley said it was a gruelling way to spend a Monday - usually a day off.