Southampton's Richard Bland handed US Open start (From Daily Echo)

Southampton's Richard Bland handed US Open start

4:55pm Monday 8th June 2009 in

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Southampton’s Richard Bland received an immediate lift after missing out on qualification for the Open this afternoon – a place in the US Open.

After playing in the Open Championship 36-hole qualifying tournament at Sunningdale – and missing out on a spot at Turnberry by a handful of shots, the 36-year-old was informed by European Tour officials that he’d made the starting field for the year’s second major at the testing Bethpage Black course in New York.

He narrowly missed out on booking his US Open place last month when losing out in the Walton Heath qualifying event – Swede Peter Hanson’s play-off hole-in-one seemingly ending his chances. Bland did though secure first reserve status and a player withdrawal has handed him the opportunity of a lifetime.

For more US Open preview news, don’t miss Wednesday’s Daily Echo.