Australians Matt Jones, Rod Pampling and Nick Cullen qualified for the 145th Open at Royal Troon following the completion of the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney.
Jones, 35, qualified in style by winning the Emirates Australian Open, finishing on an eight-under-par total of 276, one shot ahead of Adam Scott and Jordan Spieth, who are both exempt for The Open.
Pampling finished a shot further back on six-under-par, three ahead of Cullen, who tied on three-under-par with fellow Australian Lincoln Tighe, but secured the qualifying place thanks to his higher position in the world ranking.
Sydney-born Jones, who is a member of The Australian Golf Club, which hosted the event, endured an eventful final round, including a triple bogey seven on the 9th hole, but finished strongly with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes, before calmly holing a four foot par putt on the last to seal victory. Jones will make his third consecutive appearance in The Open after finishing tied 30th at St Andrews this year.
Pampling started the day at four-over-par and a bogey at the first did not augur well but from there the Queenslander birdied nine of the next 16 holes before holing a putt across the length of the green on the last for a dramatic eagle for a ten-under-par, course record 61 that took him into the qualifying places. The 46-year-old will make his ninth appearance in The Open at Royal Troon, where he finished tied 27th in 2004, his joint best finish in the championship.
Culllen mixed five birdies and four bogeys in his final round 68, but an eagle on the par five 14th hole helped him move to three-under-par for the championship. When Geoff Ogilvy’s challenge faded after dropping three shots on the last two holes, the 31-year-old from Adelaide secured his second appearance in The Open, after making his debut at Royal Lytham in 2012.
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