Lawrie books place at US Open

Golf: A day after contending for the BMW PGA Championship, Peter Lawrie emerged from the 36-holes US Open international qualifying tournament at Walton Heath – in a play-off – and will make his debut in the Major at the Olympic Club in San Francisco next month.

With 11 qualifying spots up for grabs on the heathland course outside London, Lawrie – whose only previous Major appearance came in the 2005 British Open at St Andrews where he missed the cut – posted rounds of 67 on the New course and 71 on the Old course to get into a five-way play-off for the final four spots.

Sweden’s Alexander Noren and Scotland’s Marc Warren topped the qualifying on nine under par amd were joined by England’s Lee Slattery, Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, South Africa’s Geoge Coetzee, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.

In the play-off, Italy’s Matteo Manassero and England’s Matt Baldwin booked their tickets at the first play-off hole with birdies and then Lawrie and

France’s Raphael Jacquelin claimed their spots at the second. Korea’s Sihwan Kim was the player to lose out, earning a place on the alternate list.

Lawrie, who has been attempting to shake off a cough for the past month which he picked up in China, hit form at Wentworth where he finished in fourth place behind Luke Donald and carried that with him to today’s qualifier.

He plays this week’s Wales Open but is likely to withdrew from next week’s Scandinavian Masters to put his focus on a debut appearance in the US Open the following week.

One Irish player who will not tee in up in San Francisco is British Open champion Darren Clarke after he pulled out of the event because of a troublesome groin injury in a bid to be fit for the defence of his British Open title in July.

“I am extremely disappointed that I will be unable to play in the US Open, but I have to make sure I am 100 percent ready for the British Open at Royal Lytham in July and to do that I've been advised not to play for a month,” said the 43-year-old in a statement. Clarke has also had to pull out of the Nordea Masters in Stockholm.

He was first troubled by his groin during last month’s Houston Open and it was again a problem at Wentworth, where he missed the cut.

“I haven’t been able to get through the ball properly and I don’t want to take any chances,” he added.