<p>Graeme McDowell</p>
Graeme McDowell kept alive his hopes of returning to the US Open for the first time since 2020, but the other five Irish hopefuls missed out at 36-hole Final Qualifying yesterday.
A weather delay caused play to spill over into today at Emerald Dunes Golf Club in West Palm Beach, where 2010 champion McDowell was tied for 15th on four under through ten holes of his second round.
After opening with a two-under 70, he was two under for round two, just three shots outside the top four who will make it to Oakmont next week .
He was chasing the likes of Ian Poulter’s son Luke, who was tied for fourth on seven-under with 15 holes to go.
There was no joy, however, for Pádraig Harrington, Tom McKibbin, Seamus Power, Sean Quinlivan or amateur Patrick Keeling, who were competing in some of the other nine qualifiers across the US and Canada.
McKibbin missed out by five strokes after a brace of one-over 71s at Duke University Golf Club in North Carolina.
Harrington missed out on a playoff for the last of six places by just one stroke at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Columbus, Ohio.
The veteran (53) followed a 74 with a sparkling six-under 66 to finish one shy on four-under while Roganstown and University of Louisville amateur Keeling finished six over after a brace of 75s.
US Ryder Cup player Max Homa carried his clubs for 38 holes there, missing out at the second tie hole after he three-putted the 36th to end up in a five-man playoff for the final spot.
Homa has reportedly split with his caddie of two months but he was in no mood to comment.
“I’m much rather talk about the golf instead of all the questions about the caddie,” Homa told AP. “I’m good. Just hoofed it 36.”
Tralee native Sean Quinlivan, now the Head Professional at Shinnecock Hills, shot rounds of 77 and 73 to finish on eight-over at Canoe Brook Country Club in New Jersey.
That left him 13 strokes outside the top four who qualified.
Seamus Power withdrew after opening with a two-over 72 at Lambton Golf & Country Club in Ontario, Canada
Dubbed ‘Golf’s Longest Day’, the 36-hole qualifiers threw up a series of Cinderella stories.
Matt Vogt, a former caddie at Oakmont, qualified in Walla Walla, Washington, where the other qualifier was his playing partner, Brady Calkins.
High school junior Mason Howell (17) shot two 63s to qualify at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta
Article Link: McDowell still alive in US Open qualifying bid as Harrington, McKibbin and Power miss out - News - Irish Golf Desk