Walker surprise qualifier for US Open

England's Sam Walker will join Nick Dougherty and Ireland's Graeme McDowell at the US Open Championship after a superb qualifying performance at Walton Heath.

The 29-year-old from Birmingham (pictured) ? whose best finish on the European Tour Order of Merit is 148th ? finished on 6 under par at the Surrey club and will play in his first ever Major Championship at Oakmont next month.

After a round on the Old Course and one on the New at Walton Heath, it was Dougherty, South African Darren Fichardt and Peter Hanson from Sweden who finished top of US Open Sectional Qualifying on 8 under. Marcus Fraser (Australia), McDowell and Miguel Rodriguez (Argentina) finished one behind and went safely through.

Walker grabbed the seventh spot while the final two places went to Søren Kjeldsen (Denmark) and Christian Cévaër (France) who holed a 12ft putt on the final green to secure his place.

Notable names not to make it through included Irish pair Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley as well as Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez.

US Open Sectional Qualifying

-8 Nick DOUGHERTY (ENG)

-8 Darren FICHARDT (RSA)

-8 Peter HANSON (SWE)

-7 Marcus FRASER (AUS)

-7 Graeme MCDOWELL (NIR)

-7 Miguel RODRIGUEZ (ARG)

-6 Samuel WALKER (ENG)

-5 Soren KJELDSEN (DEN)

-5 Christian CÉVAËR (FRA)