Former US Amateur champion Nick Flanagan has emerged from obscurity to seal the most unlikely of US Open berths.
The Novocastrian, who will turn 33 next week, progressed into the field for the 117th US Open at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin after shooting 68-63 at 36-hole sectional qualifying in Dallas this morning, Australian time. He was the second of three qualifiers from his site, Lakewood Country Club.
The result marks a curious turnaround in form for Flanagan, who caddied for fellow Australian Aron Price at the US Open last year, which was held at Oakmont Country Club where Flanagan won the 2003 US Amateur. It was his first trip to Oakmont since that victory.
Semi-retired these days, Flanagan has contested only two tournaments on any major circuit since January 2016, both on the secondary Web.com Tour in America and both resulting in missed cuts. Once ranked as high as 129th in the world, his ranking has plummeted beyond 1,900th place.
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Flanagan joins Wade Ormsby (who made it in via the qualifying event in England last week) as the only Australians players to progress via qualifying. Three other Aussies were already exempt into the field at Erin Hills: Jason Day, Adam Scott and Marc Leishman. The most notable absence next week will be 2006 winner Geoff Ogilvy, who last missed a US Open 13 years ago. His 10-year exemption as a past champion expired after last year’s championship. The US Open is the only Major not to bestow a lifetime or near-lifetime exemption on its winners.
Ogilvy attempted sectional qualifying in Ohio but failed to advance.
