US Open and shut case for Clarke and McGinley

Ryder Cup heroes Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley both failed to make it through US Open qualifying at Walton Heath in Surrey today.

And Clarke, who has not made a halfway cut since early February, made a sad admission afterwards.

“The current state of my game is not good for the US Open any way, so it is maybe not such a bad thing,” said the Ulsterman after rounds of 75 and 72.

McGinley’s two 71s were not sufficient either and having seen his world ranking slip to 138th the Dubliner commented: “I’m not scaling the heights. I never got hot at any stage.”

A total of 52 players teed off for nine spots at Oakmont next week, but Clarke, himself now down to 94th in the world from 35th at the start of the year, was tied for 44th after his opening round and that left him far too much to do.

Jean Van de Velde and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ryder Cup team-mates in 1999, were unsuccessful as well.

Jimenez’s two 74s included a nine on the long 14th in the first round, while Van de Velde shot 72-74 and will now turn his attentions to trying to qualify for next month’s Open at Carnoustie – the scene of his closing triple bogey seven when leading by three in 1999.

Early leaders in the clubhouse were Swede Peter Hanson and South African Darren Fichardt on eight under par, one better than Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, Australian Marcus Fraser and Argentina’s Miguel Rodriguez.

This was the first time Clarke had had to play a qualifying event for a major since the 1995 Open. He made it through at Ladybank on that occasion and went on to finish 30th at St Andrews.

This season, in addition to pulling out of three events because of a hamstring strain suffered playing football with his sons Tyrone and Conor, he has missed five successive cuts.

“I just struggled again – 35 putts both rounds,” he added. “The co-ordination is not there. It’s not clicking at all.

“I don’t have control of my ball flight and because I can’t control the distance I’m not hitting it close and I’m taking three putts all over the place.

“I’m working away as much as I can at home, but it’s not happening for me at the moment.

“I was hoping to qualify. You want to play all the majors (he has missed only two of the last 33), but I have to be realistic. Disappointed, but realistic at the same time.”

He plays in Austria this week and added: “I haven’t played a lot of late because of injuries and now I’m fully fit I want to play.

“I’m seriously lacking in tournament golf – two rounds just don’t do it.”

A double bogey at the second hole of his second round was the killer blow for McGinley.

He explained: “I was on the back foot after that. I had a lot of chances, but I couldn’t take them. It’s not to be – I’m not going to be there.”