Nine players have qualified at Walton Heath for next month’s US Open at Pinehurst.

47-year-old Robert Rock, who has retired from golf and only plays recreationally with friends, will return to the US Open for the first time in 12 years after shooting nine under par over his 36 holes.

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin will play in his first major championship at the age of 21, and will have fond memories of Pinehurst, where he won the World Kids Championship as a 12-year-old in 2015.

Two Italians will be joining them. Matteo Manassero, who’ll play in his first major for eight years having suffered a slump in form which had him considering walking away from the game, and Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari, who last played in the US Open three years ago.

A trio of British players shot 10 under over their two rounds at Walton Heath to lead the way in qualifying; England’s Richard Mansell will be joined by his fellow countryman Brandon Robinson Thompson and Scotland’s Grant Forrest, both of whom will be making their US Open debuts.

Sam Bairstow will play in his first major as a professional, having previously played in two Opens as an amateur. Australia’s Jason Scrivener completes the line-up.

Pinehurst will host the 124th US Open next month and has special significance as a venue when it comes to those qualifying at Walton Heath. It was at Pinehurst where New Zealand’s Michael Campbell won the 2005 US Open, having also come through qualifying at the famous Surrey club.

How does Final Qualifying work?

There are 13 sites used for Final Qualifying – 10 in the United States, one in Canada, one in Japan and one in England, with 36 holes played in a single day and each venue having a different number of qualifying spots available based on field size and strength.

The event in Japan also took place on Monday, with Ryo Ishikawa, Riki Kawamato and Taisei Shimizu taking the three spots on offer at Hino Golf Club, while former major champions Sergio Garcia and Francesco Molinari were among players looking to qualify at Dallas Athletic Club in Texas.

All other 10 Final Qualifying events take place simultaneously on June 3, dubbed “Golf’s longest day”, with the US Open then taking place in from June 13-16 at Pinehurst and exclusively live on Sky Sports.

Wyndham Clark will return as defending champion after last year’s one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy, while Scottie Scheffler is favourite after a dominant start to 2024 and Xander Schauffele arrives as reigning PGA champion.

Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday June 13 from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more with NOW.