SEVERAL top European golfing stars were in Surrey on Monday for the US Open qualifying tournament at Walton Heath Golf Club.
Among the stars on show were two-time Masters champion and last year's European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal (pictured above), another previous Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie and Englishmen Paul Casey and Simon Khan.
Khan was the winner of the 36-hole tournament, with rounds of 67 and 70 seeing him safely through to the US Open championship, which begins at Merion on June 13.
And he said he was pleased to get over the disappointment of losing in the fourth extra play-off hole of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Sunday so quickly.
He said: "Obviously if I'd won on Sunday I wouldn't have had to go which would have been nice.
"But they are tough days, especially when you've done well on the Sunday, there's the emotion of that and then having to get yourself off again.
"I was fortunate, I started the first round well, birdies on the second and third holes and you're in to it. I enjoy playing there, I like the course and it was a good test. I drove the ball well, a couple of little blips came in but I felt pretty confident all day."
Khan finished one shot clear of former world number three Casey and South African Jacob van Zyl, while Dane Morten Orum Madsen secured his place by finishing on five under.
Sweden's Peter Hedblom was one shot further back, along with England's Eddie Pepperell and Australian Marcus Fraser.
Olazabal, English pair John Parry and David Howell, Scotsman Chris Doak and Argentinian Estanislao Goya then progressed via a six-man play-off, with Swede Rikard Karlberg the unfortunate man to miss out.
