The country’s top golfer Scott Vincent came agonisingly close to winning a ticket to this year’s edition of the US Golf Open after he lost out in five five-for-one playoff in the Japan qualifiers at Hino Golf Club, Shiga Prefecture on Monday.
Vincent, fresh from a brilliant performance at the FBC Zimbabwe Open two weeks ago, was one of the 34 golfers vying from three tickets at the Japan qualification event.
The 32-year-old Zimbabwean golfer shot rounds 65 and 67 in a 36-hole contest and missed on automatic qualification by one stroke as he finished on a five way tie for third place on 8 - under par 132.
Japanese golfers Ryo Ishikawa and Riki Kawamoto took the first two slots after finishing tied on 9 – under after two rounds.
Ishikawa shot rounds of 66 and 65 while Kawamoto carded 68 and 63.
The five-for-one playoff saw Taisei Shimizu grab the final ticket ahead of Ryosuke Kinoshita, Naouki Kataoka, Kinsei Hirata and Vincent.
Vincent who plays for Iron Heads GC’s on the LIV Golf League was eliminated with a bogey on the first playoff hole while another golfer Jinichiro Kozum who plays on the money spinning circuit also missed out.
Eugenio Chacarra, the young Fireballs GC star who won LIV Golf Bangkok in 2022 in his fifth professional start, will make his major championship debut at next month’s U.S. Open.
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The 24-year-old Spaniard earned one of 11 spots available in Monday’s U.S. Open qualifier at Dallas Athletic Club in Texas. His two-round total of 6 under tied for second, one stroke behind medalist Nicolas Echavarria of Colombia.
Competing in his first major at Pinehurst is the next step in Chacarra’s evolution as a pro golfer. Along with his win in Bangkok, Chacarra won for the second time last season in the International Series on the Asian Tour, beating fellow LIV Golf player Matt Jones in an epic 10-hole playoff at St Andrews Bay.
He’s currently 36th in LIV Golf’s Individual standings and comes off a tie for 10th in Singapore, his best result in the first seven tournaments this season.
The Fireballs nearly had another qualifier out of Dallas with captain Sergio Garcia involved in the seven-for-six playoff.
Garcia was eliminated after bogeying the first playoff hole and will be first alternate for his qualifying group.
If a spot does not open up for Garcia, it will end his string of 24 consecutive starts in the U.S. Open.
Cleeks GC’s Adrian Meronk was confirmed for exemption Monday in the U.S. Open thanks to his ranking in the 2023 Race to Dubai standings on the DP World Tour. Meronk was voted the DP World Tour Player of the Year in 2023 before joining LIV Golf in the offseason.
LIV Golf currently has 10 players exempt for the U.S. Open – Chacarra, Meronk, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Martin Kaymer, Phil Mickelson and Tyrrell Hatton. Multiple LIV Golf players will compete at various other U.S.
Open qualifiers on June 3 before playing in LIV Golf’s next event in Houston on June 7-9. of Champions back in February.
