Challenge Tour Members Philip Archer, Gary Clark, Colm Moriarty, Zane Scotland, Steven Tiley and Tom Whitehouse all booked their places in the field for The Open Championship after coming through Local Final Qualifying.
Scotland, who became the youngest player to qualify for The Open when he earned a place in the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie aged just 16, finished in second place on the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews to earn his first Open Championship appearance in over a decade.
Scotland had led by two after an opening six under par 66, a round which included a pitching wedge holed from 120 yards for an eagle at the par four first — his 10th hole of the morning. The 27 year old followed up with a one under par 71 to take the second of three Open berths available at the venue.
“I’ve been playing well on the Challenge Tour, but this is my best round of the year – I’ve been waiting for it for a while,” said Scotland of his first round. “I missed out by a shot last year, so it’s nice to get in. I’ve been working really hard on my game, and it seems to be paying off.”
Finishing top of the leaderboard at Fairmont St Andrews was amateur Laurie Canter. A former national tennis player, Canter shot rounds of 67 and 69 to edge out Scotland by one stroke.
At Ladybank Englishman Archer – one of the very few players to have signed for a 60 on the European Tour, a feat he accomplished at the 2006 Celtic Manor Wales Open – finished on a total of six under par to finish at the top of the leaderboard, tied with 18 year old English amateur Tyrell Hatton.
“It feels great,” said the 38 year old, who made the cut at Royal Birkdale in 2008 – his only other Open appearance. “To play in a Major adds a different aspect to your career, and there will be no better one than this, the 150th Anniversary Open at the Home of Golf.”
It was Irishman Moriarty who took the first of the three Open Championship places available at Kingsbarns. His seven under par, two-round total of 137 left the 31 year old three shots clear of the rest of field.
“It’ll be my first time in The Open,” said the Challenge Tour champion, who was a member of Great Britain and Ireland’s 2003 winning Walker Cup team. “I’m delighted to make it to St Andrews.”
The 2010 Amateur Championship runner-up James Byrne, who had led the field by three at the half-way stage following an opening round of eight under par 64, found himself in a four-man, sudden-death play-off for the two remaining Open places available, after a second round 76. The 21 year old failed to regain his morning form, leaving Englishmen Tom Whitehouse and 23 year old amateur Jamie Abbott to qualify.
England’s Paul Streeter led the field by two strokes at Scotscraig on a five-under-par total of 135.
Fellow Englishman Gary Clark, winner of the Bronze Medal at the 1995 Open Championship, and Steven Tiley both came through a three-man play-off for the two other available Open places. Missing out was Scotland’s Lloyd Saltman, the winner of the Silver Medal for the leading amateur at the 2005 Open Championship.
The other successful qualifiers were in-form Dane Mark F Haastrup (Fairmont St Andrews) and Simon Edwards of England (Ladybank).
The 150th Anniversary Open Championship will take place on July 15-18, 2010, on the Old Course at St Andrews.
