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Page last updated at 20:20 GMT, Monday, 25 May 2009 21:20 UK

Khan and Dyson seal US Open spots

Simon Khan (left)and Simon Dyson
Khan (l) missed the cut at Wentworth last week, but Dyson tied for 16th

Englishmen Simon Khan and Simon Dyson were among the players to secure places in next month's US Open following two qualifying rounds at Walton Heath.

Seventy-five players were competing on two courses for 11 places and Khan and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin finished on nine under, with Dyson one shot back.

Peter Hanson was in a seven-man play-off after finishing five under and won through in style with a hole-in-one.

Ryder Cup players Paul McGinley, David Howell and Niclas Fasth missed out.

The other players to qualify for the event at Bethpage Black in New York starting on 18 June were Thomas Levet of France and Andrew McLardy, who finished on 137, plus European Tour rookie David Horsey who took one shot more.

Jacquelin secured his place at the US Open for the first time, having failed in four previous attempts to qualify.

"I played fantastically," he enthused. "I hope I can play the tournament the same way because I hit the ball very straight and I am going to have to do that in America.

"I am delighted to be going - the Majors are the tournaments we all want to play in."

Khan, 36, booked his place at the fourth time of asking and said: "I had a look at Bethpage on the internet to get some inspiration.

"It's been a bit of a tough year so far and to make it into a major means a lot."

Dyson, 31, missed the cut by nine shots when he played at the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst.

"That was too hard, the most difficult course I've ever played. You were hitting four-irons into greens that were designed for wedges.

"You could be stood in the middle of a fairway with a six iron in your hands thinking 'how do I hit this on the green?'

"I didn't play that great to be fair, but I've never seen anything like it."

Walker Cup squad member Sam Hutsby, the one amateur competing, was in prime position after a first round 69, but four-putted the 15th in an afternoon 74 and missed out by four shots.

In the play-off, Jose-Manuel Lara, Jean-Francois Lucquin, Johan Edfors and Francesco Molinari all birdied the first hole, leaving Hanson, Richard Bland and Stephen Gallacher to contest the remaining place.

Hanson's moment of glory came at the 206-yard 17th on the Old Course and he revealed that he had a last-minute change of club.

"I was pumped up so switched from a five iron to a six and knew I had to hit it really well to land it on the front of the green," he said.

"It was just a perfect shot." The seventh ace of his career came just two weeks after his sixth during the Irish Open at County Louth.

Levet will return to the scene of his US Open debut in 2002 when he finished 18th.

"I want to play in the Majors and not commentate on French TV like I did at the Masters," he said. "I feel that my game is good enough right now for me to belong in the majors."



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see also
Monty out of US Open qualifying
24 May 09 |  Golf
Longmuir harbours US Open dream
18 May 09 |  Golf


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