Matteo Manassero is set to make his first appearance at a Major Championship since 2016, having successfully navigated Final Qualifying at Walton Heath. With impressive rounds of 71 and 65, the Italian was among nine players to secure their berths in the upcoming U.S. Open, which is scheduled to take place at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina from June 13th to 16th.
Robert Rock, who took a break from playing on the DP World Tour in 2022, also booked his spot at the 36-hole qualifier and will join Manassero at the Major. English duo Richard Mansell and Brandon Robinson-Thompson, along with Scotland’s Grant Forrest, finished at the top of the leaderboard with identical totals of ten under across their two rounds.
Young professional Sam Bairstow of England will be making his debut at a Major after finishing at nine under, tying with Rock. Rock, a two-time DP World Tour winner and host of the Robert Rock Abu Dhabi Junior Championship, expressed his surprise at qualifying, emphasizing the significance of this opportunity after being out of the game for two years.
Meanwhile, in the US Qualifier concurrently held at Dallas Athletic Club in Texas, Francesco Molinari secured his place by finishing tied fourth with rounds of 68 and 70. The outstanding performance came from Nicolas Echavarria, the 2023 Puerto Rico Open winner, who led the scores with 7 under.
Notably, Spain’s Sergio Garcia narrowly missed out on qualification, falling in a play-off for the final spots. However, he remains hopeful of extending his remarkable 24 consecutive appearance streak in the US Open. The remaining 10 US Open Final Qualifiers are all scheduled to take place in the US on June 3rd.
Pinehurst has a rich history of hosting prestigious tournaments, including the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open Championships, Ryder Cup Matches, PGA Championship, and various amateur championships.
