THE NINETEEN PLAYERS WHO SECURED PLACES IN FINAL QUALIFYING AT HOYLAKE

Nineteen players from a starting field of 288 across secured their places in golf’s original championship at events held at Dundonald, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Porthcawl and West Lancashire.

The number of places for Final Qualifying was increased from 16 to 19 with additional spots allocated to events at Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Porthcawl and West Lancashire based on a strength of field calculation carried out after all competing golfers had started the first round.

Dundonald (four places)

Local favourite Michael Stewart led the qualifiers at Dundonald to secure his debut in The Open after carding an excellent six-under-par second round 66.

The 33-year-old, who hails from nearby Irvine and plays on the European Challenge Tour, followed up on his opening round of 71 to make a late surge through the field with four birdies in his last five holes to finish on a five-under-par total of 137, two clear of England’s Marco Penge.

The final two places were decided in a three-way play-off. Scottish-born Australian Connor McKinney secured his place with a birdie on the second play-off hole (the 11th) and Graeme Robertson holed from almost 40ft to edge out his fellow Scot Craig Ross on the fifth play-off hole (the 11th again).

Michael Stewart

“It was a great day and a really good last six holes. It was great to have that support out there. It was a very testing day especially this morning. I’m absolutely delighted.

“It was just good being a local lad and having so many folk out there supporting me. It gives you a little bit of momentum or a little bit of encouragement when things maybe aren’t going quite according to plan.

“Hoylake is one of the very few Opens I have been at. I played in the Junior Open in 2006 (at Heswall) and went along as a spectator. I have fond many memories of the place and we were then when Tiger won.”

Marco Penge

“It was a bit of a rollercoaster day. It was playing so tough early on. It was so cold with the rain and the wind.

“I was five over through 13 and then I hit a great shot in to 14. Then I kind of started feeling like I’m swinging the club pretty well. I said to my caddie that if I can get back to two over for the first round then you never know.

“This afternoon I just played unbelievably and it could have been more really. I missed the first two greens then after that it was 25 feet on every hole so I played awesome.

“Being from Great Britain The Open is our home major and the history of the event just makes it unbelievable. Last year was the best week of my life. I remember leaving that week – I didn’t play well and was quite disappointed – and saying to my team I want to be back here. The feeling that you get is something else.”

Connor McKinney

“To play in golf’s oldest championship as your first major and having grown up watching The Open – I have been to a few watching all the great names coming through and having been to St Andrews a bunch – is pretty special. It’s something I have always dreamed of. You don’t really know when it’s going to happen I guess. You have to envision it but it’s a pretty surreal feeling to be sure.”

“It’s a double whammy. It’s not easy. I managed to scrape a good enough round in the Regional Qualifying and then hung in all day today and got a few putts and did what I had to do.”

Graeme Robertson

“It’s a dream come true. I played golf as an amateur to a good level and then maybe stopped it for six or seven years and worked full-time and didn’t play a lot of golf. I’m just coming back to it so if you had said to me that four or five years ago, when I was sitting behind a computer desk 7:30 to 5, Monday to Friday, that I would be playing in The Open there’s no way I would have believed it.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in yet but it feels good. I can’t wait for it to happen.”

Royal Cinque Ports (five places)

South African Martin Rohwer and Thomas Detry of Belgium each recorded rounds of 72 and 69 for a three-under-par total of 141 to claim the first two qualifying positions at Royal Cinque Ports.

Rohwer, 29, will make his major championship debut in The 151st Open whilst Detry, 30, will make his third appearance.

Rohwer’s compatriots Branden Grace, who shot a record low round 62 at Royal Birkdale in 2017, and Charl Shwartzel, whose best performance in The Open came at Royal Liverpool in 2014, also qualified on two-under-par 142. Joining them is Antoine Rozner, who will play in the Championship for the second time after qualifying on the same mark with two rounds of 71.

Martin Rohwer

“I don’t really know how to feel. I am going to The Open which has always been a dream.

“There have been a few South Africans qualify today and the more South Africans in The Open, the better. Every time a South African lifts the Claret Jug it does the nation proud.

“I have learnt to savour every moment, especially when you get opportunities like this. If you play well that’s a bonus, if you don’t, well at least you have enjoyed something you have dreamt about for your whole life.”

Branden Grace

“It feels amazing to get back. I was gutted to miss it last year. Every Open is special but an Open at St Andrews is awesome.

“I feel relieved. I’ve worked hard and I’ve been playing well. I really wanted to qualify for the majors again to see how I get on. I feel like I’m ready and this was the last hurdle I had to get over.

“I was always going to try and qualify for this one. When you have the chance to qualify for one of the best tournaments in the world you are going to jump on a plane and you are always going to do it.

“It was worth the trip. I played really well and I’m happy with how things panned out.

“Hoylake is a tough golf course. I can’t remember too much about it other than the last few holes but I know it’s tough. Every Open venue is tough. It’s about hitting the fairways, hitting it on the greens and trying to keep bogeys off the scorecard.

“If I keep playing the way I’m playing I’ll be in with a shout.”

Antoine Rozner

“It feels unbelievable. It was a really tough day out there. It was long, it was exhausting. It’s a really good course here at Cinque Ports. It challenges every part of your game.

“I played my first Open just down the road at Royal St George’s two years ago and to be back in Liverpool this year is going to be very special. It was a goal of mine this season to qualify for some majors.

“I didn’t manage to qualify for the ones before so to qualify here is very gratifying and very rewarding.”

Charl Schwartzel

“It was nice to qualify at this golf course because I’ve got a bit of history here; I won the Brabazon here [in 2002] and they made me an honorary life member. I had some nice memories coming back and it was nice to play well here again. Today’s a good day.

“Bring an international player, The Open is huge. I don’t want to put one in front of the others but I feel like The Open and Augusta go hand-in-hand in terms of prestige.

“Hoylake was my best Open performance [in 2014]. I remember it being very dry. I don’t like to make excuses but when I can play with short sleeves like I did for most of today, I tend to swing the club much better. I really struggle when it’s cold and rainy.

“2014 was dry and hot and I hope it’s similar this year because I trend to swing the club better in those conditions.”

Royal Porthcawl (five places)

Laurie Canter led the qualifiers at Royal Porthcawl on an eight-under-par total of 134, four shots clear of Brandon Robinson Thompson, who will make his debut in The Open after a first round 66 set the foundation for a second place finish.

Matthew Southgate fired in a last-gasp birdie to seal the third qualifying place on two-under-par, which will see the Englishman return to the venue in which he made his Open debut in 2014.

A play-off looked likely but Oliver Bekker’s double bogey at the last meant that Jazz Janewattananond and Oliver Farr secured the two remaining qualifying spots on one-under-par.

Laurie Canter

“It’s great to be back at The Open. I travelled back from Spain on Sunday, got home at 1am in the morning, had six hours kip, saw my daughter and drove down here.

“There’s no other championship I would consider that to try and qualify for. It’s the biggest in the world and for someone like me, or anyone who has ambitions in golf, it’s where you want to be.

“I’ll put a bit of extra work in on the putting but the main thing is to enjoy it. You have to pinch yourself and enjoy these moments, as a professional golfer, these are the best moments of your life.”

Brandon Robinson Thompson

“I putted beautifully this morning, hit the ball in play pretty much everywhere and holed a lot of putts. It was good fun out there. I hit a couple of loose shots this afternoon with the weather coming in for four or five holes but I battled through it.

“To qualify for The Open is the biggest achievement in my life. All I remember about Hoylake is watching Tiger Woods hitting rippers around there to win. Playing here at Royal Porthcawl is great preparation in itself for the test that lies ahead.”

Matthew Southgate

“It was great to make that birdie at the last. The rain came in pretty strong when we were coming up 16. I was only level par and I hadn’t seen a leaderboard for that long – but I knew it was getting tougher. Obviously had a great chance at 17 and got that. And down the last I thought if I could make 3 I might be able to get into a play-off.

“I just ripped my driver and hit such a good second shot in there and the putt was just dead straight – 14 to 15 feet up the hill. I just thought ‘keep your head straight and give yourself a chance’. I hit a great putt and it went right down the middle.

“This is my fifth Open now. I finished twelfth at Royal Troon and sixth at Royal Birkdale. It’s a championship I love more than any other. I’ve played in the US Open and it doesn’t come close to me.

“As a Brit, playing in The Open is a really special thing. I’m glad Final Qualifying has paid off and I’ve got the start at Hoylake, which is where I played my first one in 2014. Now I have a nice couple of weeks to prepare. I love links golf, I do like Hoylake so hopefully I get a favourable draw and can give it a go.”

Jazz Janewattananond

“Yes, very happy to have qualified. This will be my fourth Open and I’ve become really fond of playing the links courses. Royal Porthcawl is an amazing golf course to play and to qualify here makes me love links golf even more. I can’t wait to be back playing The Open.

“This is great preparation for The Open. It’s very similar to what we will play at Royal Liverpool. I am so happy to have made it.”

Oliver Farr

“It’s great to qualify in back-to-back years. Hollinwell was really good last year, I was in a different scenario where I was pretty comfortable coming down the last and I was in. Today I was trying to push for birdies to get into it. It was a different experience but I’m just glad to be playing in The Open again.

“I played better than I scored at St Andrews last year and hopefully I can learn from that and do the things I did to play well, while maybe trying to enjoy the experience a bit more. I was a bit too result-focused last year, this time I just want to enjoy it.”

West Lancashire (five places)

Matt Wallace, Matthew Jordan, Kyle Barker, Alex Fitzpatrick and Tiger Christensen will be playing in The 151st Open after qualifying at West Lancashire.

Wallace led the way on 11-under-par 133, with Jordan and Barker shooting ten-under-par and Fitzpatrick and Christensen a shot further back on nine-under-par, three clear a pack of five players sat on six-under-par.

For Jordan, that means a dream Open appearance at his home club where he has been a member since the age of 7.

Matt Wallace

“I wanted to win this. I’ve been playing decent in the United States. I understood I was one clear and no one could catch me on the tee at the 18th and I played it nicely.

“This is a nice confidence boost because I was really consistent today. It’s been a good year and getting into The Open, I want to play well, as I will need to in order to play in the Ryder Cup.

“This is the start. I need to play in The Open and those big events.”

Matthew Jordan

“It’s brilliant, I was just telling someone over there that I’ve been a member at Royal Liverpool since I was seven. So it did matter more than the previous times I’ve tried to qualify, even though it’s brilliant, it has that sentimental value.

“Weirdly every time I play this course it seems to really suit me so when I saw it was announced I was really pleased.

“I’ve qualified and I don’t want to let this experience go to waste now. It’s an extra event and I want to be ready for it and do well.”

Kyle Barker

“I feel like I’m dreaming right now. Honestly, my heart was in my throat for the entire back nine and I’m so proud of how I held it together.

“I saw entries open for qualifying about a month or so ago and so I thought ‘let’s see if I can give it a go and get to the final stage’. West Lancashire was my first pick and so to play well and to make it into The Open is a dream come true. This is my first time playing in the UK, I’ve never played a links course before so the practice round was a bit of a wake-up call but I’m ecstatic about how it has turned out

“I remember Louis Oosthuizen winning The Open, on Nelson Mandela’s birthday as well. It was very, very special and then obviously Ernie Els winning too. I remember Jordan Spieth in 2017 and all these amazing players who have won The Open that I have looked up to all my life. This is the biggest event in golf.”

Alex Fitzpatrick

“I couldn’t be happier to have qualified. To play with my brother, Matt, in a major will be amazing. I’ve never played in one and I was asking people only last week what it was like to play in one, so it’s great to be able to experience it now.

“I know Hoylake well and it was a great week there for the Walker Cup in 2019. I remember it was windy, but it such a great experience.

I don’t mind who I play with, just to tee it up in The Open will be amazing.”

Tiger Christensen (a)

“It feels amazing to qualify for The Open. I’ve played really good golf over the last two weeks, especially at the European Amateur where I fell just short. It was good to see the putts drop today though and play my way into a major championship.

“I remember Rory winning at Royal Liverpool and hitting a bunch of bombs. I’ll go there and figure out a game plan. I’m long off the tee so hopefully I can make that work for me.”