Chris Doak seals return trip to US Open

Chris Doak at the PGA Championship at Wentworth. Picture: Getty

Taking up where he’d left off at Wentworth, the 36-year-old shot rounds of 68 and 71 on the Old and New Courses at Walton Heath to clinch one of 14 spots up for grabs in the season’s second major at Pinehurst next month.

“I’m really proud of myself, given the weather conditions, and delighted that I’m going to be playing in my second US Open,” said Doak of his performance in a rain-hit event.

“I continued my Wentworth form, shooting four under this morning, and when the rain came on heavy this afternoon, it was just a case of taking my chances when I could.”

Another player to maintain his Wentworth form was Shane Lowry. Runner-up to Rory McIlory in the European Tour’s flagship event on Sunday, the Irishman was leading qualifier, courtesy of a 69 followed by 67.

“I am really looking forward to it,” said Lowry, who is coached by Edinburgh Neil Manchip. “Majors are the tournaments I want to be playing in and right now it looks as though I am going to have a good run of them.

“I will cement my place into the British Open soon enough and that will mean three majors in the next couple of months [with the world’s top 100 qualifying for the US PGA], so that will be nice.”

Marc Warren (143), Scott Jamieson (145), Jamie McLeary (145) and Duncan Stewart (150) all missed out, as did three-times major winner Padraig Harrington after rounds of 75 and 71.

But the other qualifiers included American Brooks Koepka, winner of last year’s Scottish Hydro Challenge at Macdonald Spey Valley, as well as Tom Lewis, who claimed the last of four spots in a sudden-death play-off.