US Open: Adam Scott’s major appearances streak in peril after playoff loss to Cam Davis in qualifying

Adam Scott’s run of 91 straight major appearances is in danger of ending after his playoff defeat in US Open qualifying.

The Australian has the longest active streak of men’s major appearances, featuring in every single one since the 2001 Open Championship, but is not exempt for this year’s US Open.

His playoff loss to compatriot Cam Davis at Springfield (Ohio) Country Club, after carding rounds of 67 and 69 to go seven under par, left the 43-year-old in danger of missing out on appearing at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No 2) after dropping to first alternate as a result.

Scott does have one more chance to earn an exemption, however, as any player in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of June 10 will be invited if not already eligible.

Scott enters the week at exactly No 60, and he will not play in the Memorial Tournament later this week.

A total of 672 players competed in 36-hole qualifiers at locations around the United States and Canada to try to earn one of 44 available spots into the field at the third major of the year, to be played June 13-16 in North Carolina.

Elsewhere, PGA Tour veteran Matt Kuchar and 2012 US Open winner Webb Simpson successfully qualified for this year’s tournament the old-fashioned way.

Kuchar and Simpson were among those who locked up their spots in this month’s major championship via final qualifying on Monday, often called ‘Golf’s Longest Day’.

Kuchar, 45 shot rounds of 70 and 67 at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florido, to go seven under for the day and clinch his US Open place.

While Kuchar has never won a major, he has nine wins on the PGA Tour and once rated as high as No 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking. However, due to a lack of recent success, he did not qualify for any exemptions into the US Open field.

Simpson’s exemption for winning the 2012 US Open expired after 2022, though he did get into the 2023 field. He has not made a cut at a major since the 2022 PGA Championship.

On Monday, Simpson recorded a 67 and a 69 at Duke University Golf Club in Durham, North Carolina, which tied him for fourth, two shots behind Frankie Capan III.

Simpson finished one stroke above a seven-for-two playoff which determined the final two of the site’s seven berths. Carter Jenkins and Harry Higgs won those spots via the playoff.

LIV Golf member Dean Burmester of South Africa tied for second in Florida, one stroke behind Kuchar. However, fellow LIV player Joaquin Niemann of Chile finished one stroke out of a three-for-one playoff for the fifth and final spot.

Niemann, once ranked in the top 15 in the world, is on track to miss the US Open unless the USGA extends a special exemption to him. The PGA of America gave Niemann a special invite to last month’s PGA Championship, where he tied for 39th.

Spaniard David Puig, another LIV golfer, led the way at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California, while England’s Aaron Rai and Ireland’s Seamus Power both secured their places at the qualifying events in Ridgeway, Ontario, and Columbus, Ohio, respectively.