Anders Hansen Is Skipping the US Open: Not Important Enough

The second major of the year does not fit into three time European Tour Winner Anders Hansen’s plans this season.

The Dane focuses on playing well in Europe.

It’s one thing that Lee Westwood and other European players ignored PLAYER’S Championship earlier this season to focus on heavy tournaments on the European Tour schedule, but to skip the US Open in order to take a break is another story.

Fifth ranked player on the Race To Dubai and the 37^th player on the world ranking Hansen, has decided not to play the US Open in Maryland in the middle of this month because the Dane wants to gather his strength to play on the European Tour.

“Anders needs a two week break”, says Hansen's manager Karsten Aabrink to the Danish golf site Golfonline.dk, adding that family life and the physics has to hold up, as there is still a lot of tournaments left for the former Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner to play this season.

Last week, Hansen came in tied for second in the SAAB Wales Open on Celtic Manor, adding his third top-three spot this season on the European Tour and passing the one million Euro mark on the money list. The three time winner on the European Tour—inclusive to PGA Championship titles at Wentworth—began the season with a third spot in WGC-Cadillac Championship after a closing 67 on the Blue Monster at Doral.

Since then, he has been a household name in the top of this year’s European Tour leaderboard.

Hansen won’t appear anywhere on the board at Congressional Country Club, though.

“The plan is to top in Europe, and we are not particular aware, that it’s the US Open we are skipping”, says Aabring. “It’s a simple question of priorities.”

Hansen came in tied 55 at Oakmont Country Club in 2007 US Open. It’s the only US Open he has played.

His next tournament will be the BMW International Open in Munich at the 23^rd of June.