Among those who got into the U.S. Open,
which starts Thursday: Sam Saunders, grandson
of Arnold Palmer, who made it through a playoff
and is going to the U.S. Open for the first time;
Steve Irwin, the son of three-time U.S. Open
champion Hale Irwin, was among four qualifiers
in California; and Fred Funk, who will be 55 on
Tuesday of the U.S. Open.
Others failing to qualify were former U.S.
Open champions Steve Jones, Lee Janzen and
Tom Kite, and a trio of British Open champions
– Justin Leonard, David Duval and Ben Curtis.
Also not in are Rocco Mediate, Sean O’Hair and
Bob Hope winner Jhonattan Vegas.
to read more.
KING, 55, IN WOMEN’S OPEN FIELD
Two-time U.S. Women’s Open champion
Betsy King leads the list of sectional qualifiers
for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be
played July 7-10 at The Broadmoor in Colorado
Springs, Colo.
Eighty-two players were fully exempt into
the championship’s 156-player field, leaving 74
spots open in the field for qualifiers. Two spots
are still being held open for the winners of the
two LPGA Tour events to be played before the
2011 U.S. Women’s Open, should those winners
not already be fully exempt.
At age 12, Mariel Galdiano, of Pearl City,
Hawaii, will be the youngest player in the field.
Galdiano, who earned medalist honors at the
sectional qualifier at Poipu Bay Golf Club in
Koloa, Hawaii, is the third-youngest qualifier in
Women’s Open history, at 12 years, 11 months
and 3 days old. Alexis Thompson was 12 years,
4 months and 18 days old when she qualified
for the 2007 championship, and Morgan Pressel
was 12 years, 11 months old when she qualified
in 2001.
to read more.
STORM AWAITS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Graeme Storm coasted to a place in the
2011 British Open on Monday as he won the
European edition of International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for the second time in three years at
Sunningdale in Surrey, England.
The 33-year-old Englishman produced
rounds of 65 and 62 over the Old and New
courses for a 12-under-par 127, taking the first
of 10 qualifying places up for grabs.
At the end of a long day, the start of which
was delayed by 90 minutes because of heavy rain,
Storm, the 2007 French Open winner, emerged
with a three-shot victory over Sweden’s Alexander Noren, recent winner of the Wales Open.
Among those who missed out were former
Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley and England’s
Nick Dougherty.
to read more.
SWANEPOEL CRUISES TO SUNSHINE WIN
Chris Swanepoel cruised to his second Sun-
shine Tour victory when he won the R540,000
Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Arabella by
three strokes on Friday in South Africa.
He carded a final-round 68, his 4-under-par
finish taking him to 205, 11-under par for the
54-hole tournament.
to read more.
PARKER COLLECTS MAIDEN VICTORY
Ben Parker, a 23-year-old professional who
has English roots and a British passport but
lives in Hamburg, Germany, won the EPD Tour
Land Fleesensee Classic in Germany. It was his
maiden victory as a professional.
He finished on 12 under with rounds of
67-68-69. That was one clear of Maximilian
Glauert from Düsseldorf (68-67-70).
to read more.
