Hanson plays his ace

Whatever happens to Swedish golfer Peter Hanson in next month’s US Open he will always remember the shot last night which got him there.

Just as Paul Casey settled a Ryder Cup match with a hole-in-one three years ago Hanson resolved a sudden death play-off with an ace in the 36-hole European qualifier at Walton Heath.

Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and England’s Richard Bland were still hoping that the last of the 11 spots on offer might be theirs when Hanson went back to his bag to change clubs on the 206-yard second extra hole.

“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 after picking the ball out of the hole.

“It was just a perfect shot.”

Just two weeks after producing the sixth ace of his career during the Irish Open at County Louth Hanson’s magnificent seventh put him through the qualifier for the third time in four attempts.

Joint first place in the event went to England’s Simon Khan and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin, who between them had made seven previous attempts without success.

Former Wales Open champion Khan is down in 152nd place on this season Race To Dubai money list and after missing the cut at Wentworth last week turned to his computer for inspiration.

“I decided to have a look on the Bethpage website and went through all 18 holes,” said the Essex player, who will now spend his 37th birthday on New York’s Long Island.

“It looks fantastic and it means a lot to me to make it through to a US Open for the first time.”

Compatriot Simon Dyson was third one behind and said of the challenge that now awaits him: “I just hope it’s not as hard as Pinehurst was four years ago.

“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 like 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.”

Dyson shot 79-78 to miss the cut by nine shots.

With Colin Montgomerie among those to withdraw before the start yesterday only four Ryder Cup stars were in the field, but while Paul McGinley, David Howell and Niclas Fasth missed out recent Spanish Open winner Thomas Levet made it through on seven under.

Joint fifth, meanwhile, were South African Andrew McLardy and Tour rookie David Horsey, the Cheshire 24-year-old who led the BMW PGA Championship after the opening round last Thursday.

The play-off began with seven fighting it out for five spots and Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara, France’s Jean-Francois Lucquin, Swede Johan Edfors and Italian Francesco Molinari all birdied the first to qualify.