Golfer Nathan Kimsey is looking to “embrace the challenge” of next month’s US Open after coming out on top in a qualifying event last week to book his spot at the major for the first time.

The 33-year-old, who is attached to Stoneham Golf Club in Southampton, made his debut at the Open Championship last year, finishing in the top 40 with a final score of two-under-par at Royal Portrush.

And last week he shot 14-under over 36 holes to win the qualifying event at Walton Heath in Surrey with scores of 68 and 62 and take one of seven spots available.

“It’s been a mad week since qualifying,” he told BBC Sport.

“It was great to play some really good golf to earn my place and It’s been a nice time since, letting it all sink in.

“Thankfully I posted two pretty good scores on the day and managed to get a spot, I’m really excited to get out there.

“It’s something I’m really looking forward to, hopefully I can embrace the challenge, battle through and see where we end up at the end of the week.”

US Open courses are known to provide some of the toughest playing conditions of the four golfing majors.

This was a key factor last year, along with poor weather conditions at Oakmont Country Club, when JJ Spaun won the tournament as the only golfer under par.

Kimsey plays on the DP World Tour and has had a fine start to the year, finishing inside the top 15 on six occasions, including a tie for eighth place at the Soudal Open in Belgium on Sunday.

He has made 10 cuts in 15 tournaments and is now 216th in the world rankings.

The US Open will be held at Shinnecock Hills in New York next month from 18 to 21 June, and Kimsey admitted the venue is one he has had his eye on for a while.

“It’ll be my first taste of a really really big event in in the States,” he added.

“We get some opportunities to play there a little bit in the summer with a few co-sanction events but obviously this will be on a much bigger scale than that.

“It’s exciting and I’m really looking forward to it, it’s one of the US Open venues that I’ve always watched on TV and like the look out from look of from afar.

“So it’s really cool to go and qualify and get my spot there and I’m really excited to get out to the States and compete on that highest level again.”