Doak books US Open spot

Former Tartan Tour and PGA No 1 Chris Doak will play his first ever major tournament after qualifying for next month’s US Open Championship.

The 35-year-old Scot, fresh from finishing tied 40th at Wentworth for his biggest payday of the season, booked his place at Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania, after coming through a six-man play-off at Walton Heath for the remaining five places from 12 on offer.

Doak’s rivals in the play-off were 2012 European Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal, Argentine Estanislao Goya, Swede Rikard Karlberg and the English pair of John Parry and David Howell.

At the first play-off hole, Olazábal, Howell and Parry all made birdie to progress, Parry securing a Major Championship debut.

Doak, Goya and Karlberg all made pars on the subsequent two additional holes before Karlberg struck a tree with his tee shot on the fourth and could only make bogey, meaning the Swede was the unfortunate man to miss out.

Both Goya and Doak will play in the US Open Championship for the first time, with Doak also making his debut in any of the four Majors after coming through 40 holes at Walton Heath.

He said: “I’m really excited about it. I’ve got one of the golden tickets and it is fantastic. I actually lost in a play-off for The Open Championship last year, so it’s nice to actually get to a Major.”

PGA member Simon Khan, runner-up at the BMW PGA Championship, took top spot in the 36-hole qualifier, which had a field of 94 hopefuls.

Also qualifying were three-time Ryder Cup player Paul Casey, South African Jaco Van Zyl, Dane Morten Ørum Madsen, Australian Marcus Fraser, Sweden’s Peter Hedblom, and England’s rising star Eddie Pepperell.