Australians Chris Gaunt and Neven Basic are tied for the lead on three under par after the first round of International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for The 2012 Open Championship.
The pair made light work of the tough playing conditions at Kingston Heath Golf Club, where a 45-strong field are battling it out for a place in The 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes from July 19-22.
“It was blowing a gale out there,” said Gaunt, who had five birdies and two bogeys in his round of 69. “The holes coming home on the back nine were quite windy so it’s pretty tough.
“I putted very solidly today. I probably could have made a few more but I could have missed a few more as well.”
“I’ve never qualified before. I played in a European qualifier once and missed by a shot, so I am pretty keen to get in there and do it.”
Basic said: “This is my third go at IFQ. I missed by one shot about four years ago which hurt. It would be awesome to play in a Major. It’s something I’ve watched on television since I was about ten years old so to actually get to play would be fantastic. To play in such a historic place with the best players in the world would be amazing.”
For a full list of round one scores visithttp://scoring.opengolf.com. The second and final round takes place on Wednesday.
