Sebastian Soderberg will be a notable absentee from the Najeti Open on the European Challenge Tour this week but for good reason, as he tees it up at the US Open Championship.
As golf’s fraternity turns its attention to Oakmont Country Club – regarded as one of the toughest courses in the world – the Swede will make his Major Championship debut, taking his place alongside the best players on the planet.
For the 25 year old, who is third in the Road to Oman Rankings thanks largely to victory in the season-opening Barclays Kenya Open, it is sure to be an unforgettable experience, as was the way in which he secured his place in the field.
Playing in the International Sectional Qualifying at Walton Heath, Soderberg required a five-hole play-off to beat Jeev Milka Singh, and he admitted he had surprised even himself by earning a spot among the world’s elite.
“It’s pretty exciting,” he said. “I didn’t expect to do that this year. It was a pretty late call to play the qualifier and see what it was like, but it was pretty good odds with 100 players and 13 spots.
“I played the D+D REAL Czech Challenge the week before and came straight over on Sunday night and stayed with an old college roommate who lived near the course – he had played it a lot, so he was caddying for me.”
The fearsome Oakmont has a reputation for breaking even the very best golfers, but Soderberg cheekily suggested he may have an ace up his sleeve in preparing for the tournament: playing video games.
“I’ve played a few rounds of Oakmont on X-Box,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll get a few extra ones in next week. It still hasn’t really sunk in that I’m going but it’s going to be a great week.”
