SWEDE PETER Hanson secured a place in next month’s US Open with a spectacular play-off hole-in-one last night – after making a late change about which club to hit.
Hanson was left battling with Scot Stephen Gallacher and England’s Richard Bland for the last of the 11 spots up for grabs in the 36-hole European qualifier at Walton Heath in Surrey.
The 17th hole on the Old Course measures 206 yards, and Hanson said: “I was pumped up so switched from a five-iron to a six, and knew I had to hit it really well to land it on the front of the green.
“It was just a perfect shot.”
The seventh ace of his career came just two weeks after his sixth during the Irish Open at County Louth.
The play-off on five under par had started with seven players competing for five places, and Italian Francesco Molinari, France’s Jean-Francois Lucquin and Hanson’s fellow countryman Johan Edfors went through with birdie threes on the first hole of sudden death.
Molinari thought his chance of playing at Bethpage Black next month might have gone when he was disqualified from the Irish Open after taking the first round lead for a wrong score on a card marked incorrectly by playing partner Hanson.
First place in the qualifier was shared by England’s Simon Khan and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin on nine under.
Simon Dyson was third, one behind, and said of the challenge that now awaits him:
“I just hope it’s not as hard as Pinehurst was four years ago. That was too hard, the most difficult course I’ve ever played. You were hitting four-irons into greens that were designed for wedges.”
Dyson eventually shot 79, 78 to miss the cut by nine shots.
With Colin Montgomerie among those to withdraw before the start yesterday, only four Ryder Cup stars were in the field, but while Paul McGinley, David Howell and Niclas Fasth missed out, recent Spanish Open winner Thomas Levet made it through on seven under.
Joint fifth, meanwhile, were South African Andrew McLardy and another Tour rookie David Horsey, who led the PGA Championship after the opening round last Thursday.
US OPEN QUALIFIER(at Walton Heath Old and New Course, Surrey) – Leading final scores(British unless stated):
135 – Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 68, Simon Khan 68 67.
136 – Simon Dyson 66 70.
137 – Thomas Levet (Fra) 70 67.
138 – David Horsey 72 66, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 71 67.
139 – Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 72 67, Johan Edfors (Swe) 73 66, Francesco Molinari (Ita) 71 68, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 68 71, Peter Hanson (Swe) 71 68.
Irish non-qualifiers:
142 – Gareth Maybin 73 69, Paul McGinley 74, 68.
145 – Gary Murphy.
