Luke Poulter, the son of European Ryder Cup icon Ian Poulter, has missed out on a place in next week’s US Open by the most brutal of margins after losing a sudden-death play-off in Florida on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old amateur, a student at the University of Florida, fired a sublime, bogey-free 65 in his second round at Emerald Dunes Golf Club to finish tied for fourth at the 36-hole qualifier.
With only four progressing to the season’s third major at Oakmont, the world No 3,228 went on to be defeated in the shootout against Austen Truslow, an American who has eight PGA Tour starts to his name.
Poulter, chasing his first major appearance barely a year after suffering a stress fracture in his back, finished ahead of Graeme McDowell and Nicolai Hojgaard, among other renowned professionals. He must now rely on withdrawals to make the 156-strong field at the US Open.
‘I can’t believe how impressive today’s 65 was to get into that position,’ Ian Poulter said.
‘We keep using this as incredible experience and we keep getting better. An alternate spot but not sure what number it will be.’
Luke Poulter, the son of European Ryder Cup icon Ian, narrowly missed out on a US Open spot
Poulter, 21, was beaten in a sudden death play-off and must now rely on withdrawals
Ian Poulter celebrates helping Europe to win the Ryder Cup in 2018 in France with son Luke
A day earlier, Tayler Weaver, another son of a sporting father, went a step further by sealing qualification. The 22-year-old, whose dad Jason rode more than 1,000 winners over his career as a jockey and is now a respected pundit, beat two-time major champion Zach Johnson to one of the five spots available at Piedmont Driving Club in Georgia.
Like Poulter, Weaver has been blazing a path through the US college circuit after leaving home in Newmarket. He said: ‘This is definitely up there with my biggest achievement. Playing in a major championship is a dream of mine and it still hasn’t quite sunk in that I will be teeing it up at Oakmont.’
