Date: June 06, 2012
Author: Omnisport

Summers books US Open berth

Australian Anthony Summers will take his major championship bow in next week&aposs US Open at the age of 42. Summers, ranked 830th in the world, won a sectional qualifying tournament in Chicago on Monday, clinching an unlikely berth in the second major of 2012, which tees off at the Olympic Club, San Francisco, on June 14. Summers carded rounds of 66 and 67 for an 11-under total at the 36-hole competition to finish one stroke ahead of US PGA Tour veteran Tim Herron, who also qualified. “I&aposm so excited,” Summers said. “I played great right from the outset today and it was nice to finish the morning round off strongly and then come back out in the afternoon and pick up where I left off. “I have never played in a major before and it will be an awesome experience. I have a bunch of friends who will be over here on a US Open trip, so will have plenty of support out there as a bonus.” Summers turned professional at 18 but struggled to make a living in the game and once resorted to taking a second job cleaning toilets at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He has set modest goals for his US Open appearance at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, which he had planned to attend as a spectator before qualifying. “I wasn&apost going to come over but had a quick car-park chat with my sponsor one morning after the China Open where I had missed the cut by one and he convinced me to come over and have a crack,” Summers said. “We had a plan-B option and that was to go with him and a few of his mates to Vegas next weekend if I didn&apost qualify and then join them on their US Open trip. “But I guess neither of us will be doing that as he will caddy for me in the Open now.” Rod Pampling was among the other Australians to succeed at qualifying events after finishing one-under at a tournament in Ohio. He will be joined by Alistair Presnell, who triumphed on the third play-off hole of a Texas-based competition. Gavin Coles, Nathan Green, Matt Jones and Steven Bowditch will take part in a rescheduled Memphis qualifier on Tuesday. Aaron Baddeley, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Brendan Jones, John Senden and 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy are all set to take part in California next week.