A potential field of 82 players will battle it out for up to 12 places at Pebble Beach Golf Links when the US Open Championship Qualifier takes place on Monday at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England.
Italian Matteo Manassero will be one of the star attractions, having made such an impression since winning the 2009 Amateur Championship, including a top 30 finish on his maiden appearance at a Major in the Masters Tournament last month.
Manassero, who turned professional at the start of the month, will be partnered by another rising star in last year’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year winner Chris Wood, who goes into the final round of the BMW PGA Championship with a two shot lead over Robert Karlsson and Danny Willett.
Willett, who graduated from the Qualifying School alongside his friend and compatriot Wood in 2008, has been paired with Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, a winner of 31 European Tour titles.
Manassero, Willett and Wood will be bidding to make their US Open debuts, but Montgomerie has made a grand total of 17 appearances down the years.
Europe’s Ryder Cup Captain has finished runner-up on three occasions, including in 1994, when he and American Loren Roberts lost out in a play-off to South African Ernie Els.
Other notable names in the field include nine-time European Tour champion Thomas Björn of Denmark, who has been paired with in-form Welshman Rhys Davies, and Ryder Cup player Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland.
If they slip out of the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking on Sunday night, Thai ace Thongchai Jaidee (currently 47th) and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell (50th) will also take their places at Walton Heath.
The same applies to World Number 45 Peter Hanson of Sweden, who created one of the highlights of last year’s Qualifier when he won the play-off to decide the final place with a hole in one.
Last year, 11 players qualified from a field of 72. The number of qualifying spots available this year will be between nine and 12, depending on the size and strength of the final field.
For the full field, which is subject to change, clickhere
