Patrick Reed withdraws from US Open qualifier to end streak of playing majors
DALLAS (AP) — Patrick Reed withdrew from U.S. Open qualifying on Monday to end his streak of playing every major since the 2014 Masters. Sergio Garcia made two big mistakes late that cost him advancing to his 25th straight U.S. Open.
Garcia, who made it through 36-hole qualifying last year, was poised to get one of the 11 spots at Dallas Athletic Club until taking a double bogey on the par-5 16th of the Gold course. He finished with two pars for a 71 and was forced into a seven-man playoff for six spots.
Everyone else made par or birdie. Garcia made a bogey on the first hole of the Gold course and had to settle for first alternate, keeping his hopes alive to be at Pinehurst No. 2 on June 13-16.
Both play for LIV Golf, which does not get world ranking points. Reed has no other avenue to earn a spot at Pinehurst. The USGA said when a player withdraws from a qualifier, he cannot enter another one at a later date.
Reed did well enough in the Masters (tie for 12th) to move enough into the top 100 in the world, and the PGA Championship gave him an invitation to play last week at Valhalla.
The U.S. Open took the top 60 in the world from this week's ranking. Reed is at No. 92 — he would have needed third place at Valhalla to crack the top 60, and he finished in a tie for 53rd.
The Dallas qualifier, the first of 11 in North America, had nine players from LIV Golf. Eugenio Chacarra was the only one to get through. He will be playing his first major.
The other 10 qualifiers are June 3.
Monday was another step toward filling the field for the U.S. Open on June 15-18 with 52 players added to the 156-man field — 21 from the top 60 in the world and 23 of them through 36-hole qualifiers in Dallas, Japan and England.
Justin Rose, whose 10-year exemption from winning the U.S. Open at Merion expired last year, tied for sixth at the PGA Championship and moved up 12 spots to No. 56 to avoid qualifying. Among those falling out of the top 60 was Adam Scott.
Billy Horschel, who won in the Dominican Republic, Valspar Championship winner Peter Malnati and Mackenzie Hughes were among the leading five players in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings not already eligible for the U.S. Open who were added to the field. The U.S. Open exempted three others from the European tour's Race to Dubai — two from last year who didn't otherwise qualify and the leading player this year not already in.
Ryo Ishikawa led the three qualifiers in Japan, while the nine players who qualified in England included Robert Rock and Matteo Manassero.
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