Jacobson and Lafeber up Euro party

Swede Fredrick Jacobson and Dutchman Maarten Lafeber have increased the number of Europeans competing in next week’s US Open at Olympia Fields near Chicago to 16.

Jacobson, the current Hong Kong Open and Portuguese Open champion, led the qualifiers at Purchase, New York, yesterday. He finished three under par after rounds of 68 and 70.

But compatriot Mathias Gronberg and England’s Paul Eales were unsuccessful, the latter after collapsing to a second-round 82.

Lafeber will also appear in his first major championship in America – and only the second major of his career – by finishing joint top at Lake Nona in Florida.

A total of 85 players were competing for five places there, and he scored 69-70. England’s Paul Curry and Germans Sven Struver and Tobias Dier failed to make it through, though.

Brian Davis and Ryder Cup Swede Jesper Parnevik survived qualifying heats on Monday.

Exempt from qualifying were Ireland's Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Paul Casey, Nick Faldo, Niclas Fasth, Sergio Garcia, Bernhard Langer, Paul Lawrie, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Justin Rose.