Duval, Lehman in U.S. Open; Love, Daly fail to qualify

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David Duval's last U.S. Open appearance came in 2006.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- David Duval is returning to the U.S. Open, while Danny Lee missed a shot at earning the spot he surrendered.

Duval, absent from the last two Opens, made the grade Monday in the 36-hole sectional qualifier at Brookside and The Lakes courses. The 121-player field included 61 PGA TOUR players. Many were coming off four grueling days at the Memorial Tournament but figured it was worth it to get to play at Bethpage Black in two weeks.

"You look at what's at the other side of it," said Duval, who hasn't won since the 2001 British Open. "You don't have much of a chance to win if you don't tee it up on Thursday there."

Lee had earned an automatic U.S. Open berth last summer by becoming the youngest player to ever win the U.S. Amateur. But when he turned pro this spring, he was forced to give up his spot. He shot a 3-under 69 in the morning at the Lakes and then an even-par 72 at Brookside in the afternoon.

Asked if he was disappointed, the South Korean-born, New Zealand-raised 19-year-old said, "A little bit, but that's golf. I need to practice harder and hopefully I'll do better."

Lehman

Tom Lehman, who turned 50 in March, qualified easily after a pair of 67s.

Two amateurs were among the 17 players grabbing spots in the Open at the Columbus sectional. Kyle Stanley, a Clemson golfer who was second in the NCAA medalist race last week, shared medalist honors with PGA TOUR winner George McNeill at 12-under 132. Stanley had 10 birdies and no bogeys in a 62 at The Lakes in the morning.

"Make par and don't make any big numbers," Stanley said of his approach to the second 18. "I knew I didn't have to really shoot a great number to get through."

Other qualifiers included Bo Van Pelt, James Kamte, Lucas Glover, Charl Schwartzel, all at 133; 1996 British Open champion Lehman, J.B. Holmes and Ryan Moore (134); and Matthew Bettencourt, John Mallinger, Oklahoma State collegian and amateur Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane, Craig Bowden and Ricky Barnes (135).

Nine players went to a playoff to decide the final Open slot, with James Nitties, John Senden and Dean Wilson birdieing the first hole. Nitties then birdied the second playoff hole, with Senden parring and Wilson making bogey. Senden will be the first alternate and Wilson the second out of the sectional.

A year ago, Rocco Mediate survived a playoff in Columbus to grab one of the last qualifying spots for the Open at Torrey Pines. Tiger Woods, battling a painful knee injury, had to hit a pressure-packed birdie putt on the 72nd hole to tie Mediate and force an 18-hole playoff. Woods then held off Mediate a day later in sudden death.

Van Pelt qualified for his third U.S. Open -- all of which have been in New York. He previously made the cut at both Shinnecock in 2004 and Winged Foot in '06.

"I'm a New York kind of guy, I guess, from Indiana by way of Oklahoma," the Richmond, Ind., native said with a laugh.

Kamte

One of the best stories of the Open figures to be Kamte, a native of South Africa who had never been in the United States until two weeks ago. He received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Memorial Tournament but missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 78.

He was excited to be headed for Bethpage Black after rounds of 68 at Brookside and 65 at The Lakes.

"My second tournament," he said. "Gosh, I can't believe it."

Among the notables missing out in qualifying were 1997 PGA Champion Davis Love III, two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal and NCAA medalist Matt Hill.

In Memphis, dozens of PGA TOUR regulars showed up at Germantown C.C. and Ridgeway C.C.. The site was just down the road from TPC Southwind, site of this week's St. Jude Classic.

The 13 qualifiers included J.P. Hayes, J.J. Henry, and Casey Wittenberg, a former U.S. Amateur finalist who grew up in Memphis. Greg Kraft earned the final spot in a 6-for-1 playoff among all PGA TOUR players, getting through on the second extra hole.

Daly attracted a crowd of nearly 300 people, who followed him down the fairway, waiting for something to cheer. There were no big numbers, except for a double bogey when his tee shot sliced onto the road, and there were not enough birdies.

So many others are vying for a chance to take it on in 36-hole qualifying across the country.

In other sectional qualifying:

Kuchar

• Matt Kuchar hustled out of Ohio on Sunday and got home to Atlanta in time to win one of three spots.

• Bronson Burgoon of Texas A&M continued an amazing two weeks by earning one of two spots at Northwood Club in Dallas. Two weeks ago, it was Burgoon's wedge from deep rough to within inches that gave the Aggies the NCAA championship.

• Brad Faxon missed qualifying by two shots in Purchase, N.Y., where Kevin Silva of New Bedford, Mass., earned one of four spots.

• Fred Funk, 52, became the oldest qualifier for this U.S. Open when he was among seven players who earned spots in Rockville, Md. The others included Michael Sim of Australia, who leads the Nationwide Tour money list.

• In Florida, big-hitting rookie Gary Woodland was among three who qualified. Brian Davis of England, who is No. 24 in the FedEx Cup standings on the PGA Tour, failed to qualify.

• Most of the PGA TOUR players were either in Tennessee or Ohio. Some didn't make it to the first tee. Jerry Kelly withdrew in Ohio, while Scott Verplank and Steve Elkington were among those who pulled out in Memphis.

• Michael Letzig, who played with Tiger Woods in the final round at the Memorial and had a front-row seat to Woods' victory, could not get a flight to Memphis in time and had to withdraw the qualifier.