U.S. Open Qualifying Results
TADWORTH, England (AP) -- Dutchman Maarten Lafeber beat the field by eight strokes with rounds of 64 and 66 on Monday to head European qualifying for next week's U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
"I played awesome," Lafeber said. "I was in control all the time. Overall it was almost flawless golf."
Lafeber's 14-under 130 after rounds over the Old and New Courses at the Surrey Club south of London got him into the field for next week along with a trio who shot 6-under 138.
Former No. 1 U.S. collegiate player Graeme McDowell, shot 70-68. Jyoti Randhawa of India shot 71-67, and England's Graeme Storm had two rounds of 69.
Richard Green and Jeev Milka Singh of India qualified at 5-under, while there was a five-man playoff for the final two of eight available places.
Oliver Wilson and Philip Archer of England qualified, while Danes Soren Kjelsen and Soren Hansen and English amateur veteran Gary Wolstenholme missed out.
So, too, did Robert Karlsson, the winner of the Celtic Manor Wales Open on Sunday. He shot 73-74. That could be costly to his Ryder Cup ambitions. He is ninth in the European qualifying standings from which 10 players earn spots, but will be unable to pick up the big points on offer next week.
"I didn't realize how much Celtic Manor took out of me," he said.
Lafeber added that he almost did not play after a poor round of 74 on Sunday in the Wales Open, where he finished tied for 64th. But he was talked into it by friends at home, consulted his coach on Sunday night, and changed his putter.
"There were a few things not right after six weeks in a row but my coach got it fixed pretty quickly," said Lafeber, who missed the cut in his only previous appearance in the U.S. Open, in 2003.
McDowell was delighted.
"I really wanted it," he said. "I missed out on the Masters. I was getting pretty comfortable in the majors and I don't want to be sitting at home watching them on television. I have heard great things and I wanted to be there.
McDowell said he will enter the PGA Tour's Barclays Classic this week hoping to get his driving in order.
"My driving is absolutely terrible. My driver feels like a snake in my hands," he said. "I have no chance at the U.S. Open driving like that."
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
