Erik van Rooyen blitzed the field with his opening eight-under-par 64 on Monday in the US Open’s ‘Longest Day’ set of qualifiers on his way to becoming the fourth South African to gain entry to this year’s championship at Oakmont Country Club in California.

Van Rooyen added a second round of five-under 67 later the same day to take his 36-hole total to 13-under-par. That was six strokes clear of his nearest opponents at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Columbus, Ohio, and he will join Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Thriston Lawrence and Jacques Kruyswijk in the championship field on June 12-15.

Van Rooyen made three birdies and two bogeys on the front nine in his opening round, turning in one-under-par. He turned on the afterburners on the back nine, with five birdies and an eagle seeing him race home in 29. It was a lead he never relinquished, and only a double-bogey on the 17th in his second round stopped him from being even further ahead of the field.

In his wake, the likes of Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, Padraig Harrington and Alex Noren were unable to qualify. Americans Bud Cauley, Lanto Griffin, Justin Lower and Harrison Ott qualified, while Cameron Young won a five-for-one play-off for the final qualifying spot, beating out Homa, Fowler, Chase Johnson and Eric Cole.

Christo Lamprecht missed out on qualifying by three strokes at Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta, Georgia. He closed with a bogey-free seven-under-par 65, but the four bogeys he made in his opening one-under 71 cost him his chance.

Back on May 19, Kruyswijk opened with a six-under-par 66 at Walton Heath in Surrey, England, and his second-round one-under 71 was enough to get him into the field for Oakmont after a six-for-three play-off for the final places. Also on seven-under after 36 holes, and losing out in that play-off was Robin Williams after rounds of 68 and 69.

Also at Walton Heath, Thomas Aiken, Justin Walters, Jacques Blaauw, Justin Harding and Yurav Premlall missed out, while Casey Jarvis withdrew after his first round.

Elsewhere on May 19, amateur Christiaan Maas missed out at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas, Texas, while Scott Vincent qualified at Tarao Country Club in Japan. Ian Snyman missed out there. Branden Grace withdrew in Dallas.

At other venues on the ‘Longest Day’, MJ Daffue, amateur Daniel Bennett and Kieran Vincent all didn’t qualify. Garrick Higgo, Dean Burmester and Aldrich Potgieter all withdrew.