More major disappointment for Scottish golfers as US Open field is finalised

MacIntyre secured his fourth appearance in the USGA event through qualifying for the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta last year on the back of his wins in both the RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open.

The 28-year-old, who defends the first of those titles this week in Ontario, would also have qualified on the strength of being in the top 60 in the Official World Golf Ranking at a cut off on 19 May.

As was the case for both The Masters in April and last month’s PGA Championship, though, MacIntyre will be the only Scottish player teeing up in one of the game’s marquee events.

Ryan Lumsden, who is among the current Caledonian contingent on the Hotel Planner Tour, came closest to joining the Oban man in the line up in Pennsylvania.

Close call for Ryan Lumsden at Walton Heath

After carding rounds of 66-71 for a seven-under-par total, Lumsden got into a play-off in one of the 36-hole Final Qualifiers at Walton Heath only to miss out in a six-way battle for the final three spots and also fail to secure an alternate berth.

Scott Jamieson and Calum Hill were the only other Scottish players to roll the dice in that particular shoot-out on this occasion while amateur duo Calum Scott and Connor Graham both came up short in another one at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas.

The concluding ten Final Qualifiers took place on Monday without a single Scot in any of the fields across the UK and Canada.

It means that a trend of a disappointing Scottish presence in the US Open will continue next week, when Bryson DeChambeau defends the trophy after his dramatic victory at Pinehurst last year.

In 2020, MacIntyre was joined by Connor Syme and Sandy Scott, who was still an amateur at the time, in flying the Saltire at Winged Foot.

MacIntyre and Laird were then in the field at Torrey Pines the following year before Sean Jacklin, Tony’s son, was the solitary Scot at Brookline as Matthew Fitzpatrick won there in 2022.

It was a Scot-free event at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 before Grant Forrest came through the qualifier at Walton Heath last year to join MacIntyre at Pinehurst.

Rickie Fowler misses out in play-off

A day after securing a spot in the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush through the Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour, former Genesis Scottish Open champion Rickie Fowler narrowly missed out in his bid to be involved in the US Open as well.

Along with Max Homa, he suffered disappointment in a five-man play-off for just one spot - it went to 2022 Open runner-up Cameron Young - at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Columbus, Ohio.

Scottish-based Frenchman Victor Perez secured a spot in the event at Lambton Golf & Country Club in Ontario, as did Danish duo Niklas Norgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen and Englishman Matt Wallace.