May 28, 2014
SURREY, England -- Former Purdue men's golfer Shiv Kapur has advanced to play in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst (N.C.) after finishing fifth out of 105 golfers in International qualifying at Walton Heath Club in Surrey, England.
Kapur fired a 5-under par 139 in challenging weather conditions to earn one of the 14 spots and a start in his first U.S. Open. It will be the third major tournament he has competed in, also teeing off in the 2006 and 2013 Open Championships.
He becomes just the third player from India to ever play in the U.S. Open.
"It's really heartening to have qualified for the U.S. Open. It's unbelievable as just 48 hours back I was not happy with my performance at Wentworth. But I told myself that just a few bad holes can't affect me for long and the result is for all to see. Even if I had played all four rounds, competing in the qualifiers was part of my plans and getting an early ouster at Wentworth came as a blessing in disguise as I got two days of extra practice time," Kapur told the Times of India after his round.
Kapur, ranked No. 171 in the world rankings, had come extremely close to a spot in the 2005 U.S. Open, missing the final qualifying spot by just one stroke.
Kapur made news in last year's Open Championship after leading during the first round and finishing T-73rd, giving him confidence heading into this year's U.S. Open.
"Anytime you have success in the past, it gives you confidence. My target since last year has been solely about playing the Majors as I know even when you lead for a short interval, people are going to talk about it. Further, my experience at last year's British Open will help me handle expectations and pressure better," Kapur said.
Kapur owns three professional tour wins and was the 2005 Asian Tour Rookie of the Year.
Purdue representatives Adam Schenk (2014 grad), Tyler Duncan (2012 grad) and rising sophomores Austin Eoff and Philippe Schweizer will also look to lock up spots in the 2014 U.S. Open next Monday (June 2) in sectional qualifying.
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