Chris Doak has elected not to compete in Austria next week and will instead will make an early trip to the United States in order to prepare for his second consecutive US Open appearance.
After banking the biggest pay cheque of his career last Sunday at Wentworth, the Greenock golfer went to Walton Heath on Monday to be among the leading 14 qualifiers. Doak will join Bathgate's Stephen Gallacher as the only Scots competing on the revamped Pinehurst No.2 course.
Doak contested his first US Open, and maiden major, at Merion last year and is looking forward to playing all four rounds in North Carolina.
"Pinehurst is going to be a totally different course to Merion but I will probably not play in Austria," he said. "If I had not qualified at Walton Heath I would have played in Austria, so now that I've qualified I've pulled out of the Lyoness Open and will held over to Pinehurst.
"The majors is where everybody wants to be playing and it's just incredible to be now playing in two US Opens in a row. It's just so special to be playing a US Open as you grow up as a kid watching TV coverage of the majors, so the US Open is extra special to me having qualified last year."
There is one voice that will be ringing in Doak's ear, that of his long-time coach, Bob Torrance. "I am always hearing Bob's voice saying 'brilliant'," said Doak. "He was thrilled I qualified last year and was chuffed again I made it through on Monday."
Doak is in Malmo this week, where his joins compatriot Marc Warren in the Nordea Masters. The Greenock golfer has very fond memories of winning his first Tour success in front a patriotic Sweden crowd.
Warren, meanwhile, missed out on qualifying at Walton Heath before arriving in Malmo, where in 2006 he denied crowd favourite Robert Karlsson in a play-off. "I have good memories even though it's a new course," said Warren. "But then, I am staying the week in the same village as when I won the Scandinavian Masters.
"But after missing out on US Open qualifying I just hope my putter will be a bit warmer than on Monday."
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