Padraig Harrington comes up just short in his bid to qualify for the US Open
Padraig Harrington came up agonisingly short in his attempt on Monday to qualify for next week's US Open.
The three-time major champion travelled from a Champions Tour event to tee it up at Kinsale Golf Club in Columbus, Ohio, for a US Open qualifier.
There were six qualifying spots available at the 36-hole event, featuring a host of big-name players, including Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Alex Noren, and Cameron Young.
Harrington, 53, seemed out of the running after a first round of 74 left him towards the bottom of the leaderboard.
But the Dubliner came firing back in the second round, playing his opening 11 holes in six-under-par to charge up the leaderboard.
In the end, a bogey on the 17th hole proved costly as he finished just one shot shy of a play-off for the sixth and final spot at the US Open.
Fowler, Homa, Young, Eric Cole and Chase Johnson were all in the play-off, and it was Young who booked his ticket to Oakmont thanks to a birdie on the first play-off hole.
The qualifying event was won by South African Erik Van Rooyen, who shot rounds of 64 and 67 to finish on 13-under-par, six shots clear of Lanto Griffin, Bud Cauley and Justin Lower, who also booked their places at Oakmont.
Elsewhere, at Duke University Golf Club in North Carolina, Tom McKibbin also came up short in his bid to tee it up in the major championship.
The Holywood man finished on two-over-par for 36 holes, five shots behind the score needed to make it to Oakmont.
2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell still has a shot, though, of qualifying for the major championship for the first time since 2020.
McDowell was four-under-par after 10 holes of his second round at Emerald Dunes Golf Club in Florida when play was suspended for bad weather.
He is currently three shots behind 18-year-old rising star Blades Brown and Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup legend Ian, who have a share of third spot, with four qualifying spots on offer at the venue.
Seamus Power's US Open prospects are over, however. The Waterford golfer withdrew after a two-over par opening round of 72 at Lambton Country Club in Canada.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Sarah Healy clocks 1,500m personal best in stunning second-place finish in Paris Diamond League
Sarah Healy produced another stellar performance to break her personal best and finish second over 1,500m at the Paris Diamond League, the Dubliner clocking 3:57.02.
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Sarah Healy breaks personal best to finish second in Paris Diamond League
Sarah Healy produced another stellar performance to break her personal best and finish second over 1500m at the Paris Diamond League on Friday night, the Dubliner clocking 3:57.02. Healy's previous best was the 3:57.46 she ran at the same meeting in Paris last July, but having finished seventh in that race, this marked another step forward in what has been a superb year to date. The race was won by Kenya's Nelly Chepchirchir in 3:57.02, with Birke Haylom of Ethiopia finishing third in 3:57.50 and Georgia Hunter Bell, the Olympic bronze medallist and a training partner of Healy's in Manchester, sixth in 3:58.06. The race was a messy one, with 17 athletes bunching over the opening laps as 800m was reached in a swift 2:05. Healy played a patient game and then coasted into contention for victory on the back straight, unleashing a strong finish on the inside to move into second in the closing metres. Having won European Indoor gold over 3000m in March, Healy has been in sparkling form through the early part of the outdoor season, finishing third at the Rabat Diamond League over 3000m and taking victory in Rome over 1500m. As the second fastest Irishwoman in history at 1500m, she will likely have Ciara Mageean's national record of 3:55.87 in her sights later in the summer. Elsewhere, Mark English produced the second fastest time of his career to again dip under 1:44 in the 800m, the 32-year-old Donegal man clocking 1:43.98 to finish sixth in a loaded field. With 13 men on the track, it was crowded at the break from lanes and English wisely chose to stay out of trouble and run at the back as the leaders passed 400m in a rapid 49.15 seconds. He began to creep through the field on the second lap, navigating heavy traffic, and turned in a typically strong last 100m to claw his way up to sixth place. The race was won by Spain's Mohamed Attaoui in 1:42.73, with English's occasional training partner Josh Hoey of the US second in 1:43.00. After winning his fifth European medal in Apeldoorn back in March, English came into the outdoor season in the form of his life, his run in Paris being his fifth time under 1:45 in the past four weeks. He will race in Ostrava, Czechia next Tuesday and then complete a spell of altitude training ahead of the London Diamond League on 19 July. English has broken his own Irish outdoor 800m record twice already this season, becoming the first Irishman to go under 1:44 when clocking 1:43.92 in Hengelo last week. He finished seventh at the Oslo Diamond League three days later and while the depth in the men's 800m is better than ever, he's hopeful this might be the year to reach his first global final. 'There's a faster time in me,' he said.
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Michael Noonan's brilliant double helps leaders Shamrock Rovers to comfortable win over bottom side Cork City
That gap now stands at 11 points following an utterly dominant display against the rock bottom Leesiders, who proved no match for a Rovers side who are in frightening form having made it eight wins from their last nine here. Rovers were ruthless, racing into a three-goal lead inside the opening half hour with 16-year-old Michael Noonan bagging a brace in between Roberto Lopes' bullet header, as Rory Gaffney added the fourth shortly after the restart to copper-fasten the three points. A consolation from Cork's Alex Nolan proved too little too late for Ger Nash's visitors, who suffered the same scoreline as their last trip to Tallaght in April. Presumably with one eye on Monday's trip to Dalymount Park, Bradley opted for six changes as Cork native Josh Honohan, Aaron Greene and Graham Burke dropped to the bench while trio Darragh Nugent, Matt Healy and Lee Grace were rested entirely. The Hoops boss was in turn able to bring in Noonan, Gaffney, Dan Cleary, Danny Mandroiu, Danny Grant and John O'Sullivan, such depth in a squad that it's almost scary. It took only six minutes for the hosts to take the lead in front of the 4,355-strong crowd. A fine through ball from ex-Ireland U-21 cap Mandroiu put Noonan through inside the box. The teenager still had a lot of work to do through with Cork pair Darragh Crowley and Freddie Anderson hot on his heels, but the Dubliner cleverly skipped past both of them, cut back inside and snuck his shot underneath Tein Troost. The Cork 'keeper may feel he should have done better to keep the tame effort out, but the hosts didn't care Noonan's sixth goal of the year put Rovers in the driving seat early on. Nash's charges came back soon after as some nice link up play between Malik Dijksteel and Djenairo Daniels saw the latter force a good save out of Hoops number one Ed McGinty, but that was as good as it got for the visitors in a opening half to forget. It wasn't long before Bradley's men stepped it up another gear and on 26 minutes, they had their second. Dylan Watts stepped up to take a free-kick from the left-hand side and put it on a plate for Lopes, as the captain's bullet header gave Troost no chance. It was the Cape Verde defender's second goal of the season, and first since the sides last met in Tallaght, another 4-1 triumph for the Hoops. But barely 180 seconds later, it went from bad to worse for the visitors and their travelling fans. Full-back Trevor Clarke, on just his second start of the season, slotted Noonan through on goal on the left flank, after the forward made a superb run from deep. The Ireland U-19 striker kept his cool and dinked it past Troost for his fifth goal in his last six appearances. On the stroke of half-time, Milan Mbeng's cross almost saw Daniels convert at the back post but the former Dutch underage cap was too late to convert at the back post. If the first half was one to forget for Cork City, then the second began in the same fashion as just four minutes after the restart, the hosts had their fourth. It was all of Cork's own making, as a loose pass allowed Mandroiu to pick up the ball and release Gaffney with a textbook through ball. The Galway man charged forward and picked his spot, slotting it low to Troost's left for his fifth of the season. Rovers were cruising. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Recent Ireland U-21 debutant Cathal O'Sullivan, who is being closely tracked by Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest and is expected to depart Turner's Cross this summer, saw a good effort saved by McGinty, who had been a bystander for the majority up to the hour mark. Cleary saw his header sail inches wide moments later, before substitute Nolan pulled back a consolation back on 69 minutes after a fine through ball from Greg Bolger. Having been reduced to silence for much of the night, at least the travelling support had something to shout about, but it was far too little, too late. The contest had been settled long before. All eyes turn towards Monday to see if Bradley's men can extend that lead out to 14 points with a win at Bohs. Andy Farrell's Lions may have kicked off their 2025 campaign in Dublin 4, but in Dublin 24, this 2025 title race took its latest step towards an increasingly likely ending. Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Cleary, Lopes (Honohan 46), C O'Sullivan; Clarke (Kovalevskis 46), Watts (O'Neill 53), J O'Sullivan, Grant (McEneff 73); Mandroiu (Barrett 53); Noonan, Gaffney. Cork City: Troost; Mbeng (Nevin 61), Anderson, Nelson (Lyons 46), Crowley; O'Sullivan (Nolan 65), Bolger, McLaughlin, Fitzpatrick; Dijksteel (Murray 46), Daniels (Maguire 61).
