KEY POINTS:
Two of New Zealand's brightest young golfers are only one tournament away from a place in next month's US Open.
Teenagers Danny Lee of Rotorua and Sam Shin of North Harbour have made it through in qualifying tournaments in the US and will take part in the sectional qualifying in two weeks.
The best of that process will make it through to the final field for the US Open championship at Oakmont GC from June 14-17.
It would be the same route to the tournament that New Zealand No 1 Michael Campbell took when he won the US Open two years ago.
Lee, 16, finished in a share of second place in his qualifier at Chula Vista in San Diego after shooting a two-under par 70 last week.
That followed his third place in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Seoul, part of the Asian PGA tour.
He has been joined by Shin, 17, who shot a brilliant seven-under 65 to be joint winner of his qualifier at Mira Loma GC in Goose Creek, California, yesterday. Shin was a runner-up in the Junior British Open in 2003.
Their feat is more impressive given the enormous numbers attempting to earn a place among the final field of 156 players to contest the US Open.
It attracted 8185 players who competed at 109 qualifying tournaments throughout the US.
Lee and Shin were among the 550 to emerge from this process who join 301 exempt players for the sectional qualifiers over 36 holes at 14 locations.
"It's a wonderful achievement by the two of them to get this far," said Graeme Scott, sport manager for New Zealand Golf.
"When you consider there were more than 8000 people in this first elimination event it is a superb effort.
"Both are outstanding young players and you just never know what might happen at the final sectional qualifiers."
Lee has returned to Australia where he leads the New Zealand team in the Four Nations Tournament that began near Melbourne yesterday.
- NZPA
