Arthur Pierse, who was 50 last month, has qualified as an amateur for the $2.25 million US Senior Open, starting on June 28th. The former Walker Cup player from Tipperary carded a one-under-par 71 in sectional qualifying at Fairmount CC, New Jersey, late on Monday.
From a field of 155, only eight got through to the game's top seniors event, which takes place this year at Salem CC, Massachusetts. Pierse finished third, while leading tournament professionals such as Australia's Rodger Davis, failed.
"I was one over par after eight, but I then birdied the ninth, 11th and 15th, to be comfortable," said Pierse yesterday. "As things turned out, I bogeyed the 16th, where I missed the green on the right, but I parred the last two.
"A lot of trees made it a tight driving course and the key to my game was I hit it straight off the tee. I'm really delighted to be flying the Irish flag in such an important event."
Pierse, who has also entered for the Senior British Open at Royal Co Down next month, had his last important competitive outing in the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray, where he completed all four rounds. "I'll also have to qualify for Newcastle, but this has been a great boost to my confidence," he added. Meanwhile, recently-crowned British Amateur champion Michael Hoey (Shandon Park) has withdrawn from the Irish Amateur Close Championship, which takes place at Co Sligo golf club, Rosses Point this weekend.
Hoey, whose British Amateur victory came after nine gruelling rounds in six days over the Prestwick course, has decided to take a well earned rest before competing for Ireland in the European Team Championship in Sweden in a few weeks time.
