US OPEN QUALIFYING:PETER LAWRIE had to do it the hard way, but it was worth it. A day after contending for the BMW PGA Championship, the Dubliner yesterday emerged from the 36-holes US Open international qualifying tournament at Walton Heath - in a play-off - and will make his debut in the Major at the Olympic Club in San Francisco next month, writes Philip Reid.
With 11 qualifying spots up for grabs on the heathland course outside London, Lawrie - whose only previous Major appearance came in the 2005 British Open at St Andrews where he missed the cut - posted rounds of 67 on the New course and 71 on the Old course to get into a five-way play-off for the final four spots.
Sweden's Alexander Noren and Scotland's Marc Warren topped the qualifying on nine-under-par amd were joined by England's Lee Slattery, Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen, South Africa's George Coetzee, Finland's Mikko Ilonen and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.
In the play-off, Italy's Matteo Manassero and England's Matt Baldwin booked their tickets at the first play-off hole with birdies and then Lawrie and France's Raphael Jacquelin claimed their spots at the second play-off hole. Korea's Sihwan Kim was the player to lose out, earning a place on the alternate list.
Lawrie, who has been attempting to shake off a cough for the past month, which he picked up in China, plays this week's Wales Open but is likely to withdrew from next week's Scandinavian Masters to put his focus on a debut appearance in the US Open the following week.
