Rai wins as Beef among 15 US Open qualifiers

Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnson was one of the 15 US Open qualifiers on Monday at Walton Heath as Englishman Aaron Rai charged to victory at the International Sectional qualifier to secure their spots at Erin Hills next month. 

Rai, who has won five European Challenge Tour events this season, made a late surge with five birdies and an eagle in his final nine holes in the one-day 36-hole event to win by a single shot over Li Haotong at 14-under-par.

“It’s a dream come true to play in any Major, and with it being the US Open it makes it extra special,” Rai said after his victory.

“It’s hard to put it into words at the moment because it hasn’t really sunk in but when it does and I get to reflect on it, it will be a dream come true.

“It was nice on the 18^th green and to have my mum and dad here this week was incredible, to be able to share that with them. These are moments you don’t get many times in your life so to have them for a moment like this is very special.”

And while it was Rai who won the event, it was Beef who lit up the crowds with a hole-in-one at the second hole of his second-18, before carding an eagle on the par five 16^th to earn his place at the US Open through this qualifier for a second successive time.

Johnston had finished T21 at the BMW PGA Championship the day before, and the popular crowd favourite carded rounds of 68-66 to put him in a tie for ninth place and earn an automatic qualification spot.

“I played well today, really solid,” Johnston said.

“I was a bit disappointed to be four under in the morning section – I had a couple of chances, a couple of three-putts and I should have been six or seven under. That made it difficult in the afternoon but I played really well in the afternoon, less mistakes.

“I enjoy the US Open, you know it’s going to be difficult. You’ve just got to prepare for that and go and dig in from the first hole onwards. I think if you play well there you can end up in a good position because if people aren’t quite on their game, they really struggle.”

Rai, Li and Johnston were joined in the first 11 automatic qualifying spots by Alexander Levy, Richie Ramsay, Bradley Dredge, George Coetzee, Oliver Bekker, Joel Stalter, Eddie Pepperell, and Brandon Stone.

A play-off between seven men was needed for the four remaining spots, with Paul Dunne, Thomas Aiken, Matt Wallace and Wade Ormsby making their way through to the year’s second major. 

Scores:

130 A Rai (Eng) 66 64; 
131 H Li (Chn) 67 64; 
132 R Ramsay (Sco) 66 66; A Levy (Fra) 63 69; 
133 J Stalter (Fra) 68 65; E Pepperell (Eng) 67 66; O Bekker (RSA) 67 66; B Dredge (Wal) 62 71; 
134 B Stone (RSA) 68 66; A Johnston (Eng) 68 66; G Coetzee (RSA) 64 70;

135 G Bourdy (Fra) 71 64; T Aiken (RSA) 68 67; P Dunne (Irl) 67 68; M Wallace (Eng) 67 68; W Ormsby (Aus) 66 69; C Shinkwin (Eng) 65 70; D Boote (am) (Wal) 62 73;