O'Hair fails to win spot in U.S. Open qualifier

West Chester resident Sean O'Hair will not be playing in next week's U.S. Open on the Blue Course at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md. He failed to earn a spot in yesterday's Sectional Qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, where on Friday he'd just missed the cut at the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament, his second consecutive MC.

This will be the first major he has missed since the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

O'Hair, who has failed to make it to the weekend in seven of his 13 starts this season, has fallen to 89th in the 2-year cumulative world rankings. He'd been as high as No. 13 just over a year ago. The last of his three PGA victories came a little over 2 years ago.

O'Hair, who will turn 29 next month, shot 4-under-par 68 in the morning at the Lakes Golf & Country Club, which left him tied for 14th. There were 119 players going for 16 slots. In the afternoon at Brookside G&CC, he followed with an even 72, which dropped him into a tie for 29th. Chez Reavie and Brandt Jobe tied for low score, at 132.

Last year at Pebble Beach, O'Hair tied for 12th, his best finish in four U.S. Opens. A month later at St. Andrews, he tied for seventh at the British Open, his highest finish in any major.