ZIMBABWE will not be represented at the United States golf Open Championship after the country’s three hopefuls Brendon De Jonge, Sean Crocker and Nyasha Mauchaza found the going tough during the final qualifying round on Tuesday.
DANIEL NHAKANISO
The biggest casualty during the tough US Open sectional qualifying tournaments was the country’s leading professional golfer De Jonge.
De Jonge, who is the reigning Sportsperson of the Year after his impressive season on the PGA Tour last season, needed to qualify for the prestigious tournament as he fell outside the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 27.
In a bid to make the field for the prestigious tournament, De Jonge took part in the final sectional qualifying tournament held at Brookside Golf and Country Club and The Lakes Golf and Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.
Played over 36 holes in one day, the qualifying tournament saw 120 players battle it out for 15 slots. In the end, De Jonge, came agonisingly close to qualifying as he finished just one shot adrift of the cutline with a total of seven-under par 137 after rounds of 72 and 65
The Brookside Golf and Country Club qualifier was won by American Charley Hoffman after his 11-under par 133, while South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini was also among the 15 to qualify after his eight-under-par 136.
16-year-old teenage golfer, Crocker also went searching for berth in the US Open after having won the first qualifying tournament at La Purisima Golf course in California last week.
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However, the promising amateur golfer’s dream went up in smoke at the Big Canyon Country Club & Newport Beach Country Club in California where only five slots were on offer in the field of 102 players.
Crocker struggled with his game carding rounds of 71 and 75 for a total of three-over par 146 to finish well behind the cutline of five-under-par.
Mauchaza was one of the locals also eyeing a place at the US Open as he took part in the sectional qualifier at Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida.
The promising golfer, who moved from Zimbabwe to the United States in 2005 had a decent outing, carding 70 and 71 for a total of three-under-par 141, but still finished four shorts behind the cutline of sevens-under-par 137.
This year’s US Open — the second of the four Major championships in golf — will take place at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania from June 10-16.
