The 148th Open

Three more players have booked their places through The Open Qualifying Series, claiming their spots at Royal Portrush through The South African Open.

Romain Langasque, Charl Schwartzel and Oliver Wilson have secured their places in The 148th Open after qualifying at the South African Open hosted by The City of Johannesburg.

South Africa’s national Open took place at Randpark Golf Club on the outskirts of Johannesburg and was the second event in The Open Qualifying Series which gives golfers around the world opportunities to book their place at Royal Portrush from 14-21 July 2019.

Langasque recorded a five-under-par 66 at the Firethorn course to book his spot at The Open. It will be the second time that he plays in golf’s original championship after the Frenchman qualified to play at St Andrews in 2015 as a result of winning The Amateur Championship at Carnoustie.

In an up-and-down round that included five birdies, two bogeys and an eagle, Langasque finished in outright second on 12-under-par – four shots behind winner Louis Oosthuizen, who is already exempt for The Open.

The 23-year-old, who recently regained his European Tour card through Qualifying School in November, will now tee it up at Royal Portrush in July for the first time as a professional.

Several players finished on ten-under-par in a tie for third place, but it was 2011 Masters winner Charl Schwartzel and England’s Oliver Wilson who took the remaining spots for The Open on account of their higher positions in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Schwartzel, playing alongside two-time Open Champion Ernie Els, struggled to bring his final round to life after finishing on one-over-par for the day. But it was his earlier scores, an opening day 67 and an eight-under-par 63 at the Bushwillow course on Friday, that saw him hold his place in prime position by the time play was over on Sunday.

The South African will now make his 15th appearance in The Open with his best previous result -  a tie for 7th - coming in 2014 at Royal Liverpool.

A four-under-par 67 was enough to see Wilson claim the final qualifying place. The 38-year-old went bogey-free on the front nine, recording four birdies to go out in 31.

He added another two birdies at the 12th and 14th holes but bogeys at the 13th and 18th derailed his chances of catching Oosthuizen or finishing in outright second. Royal Portrush will be Wilson’s sixth appearance in The Open having made his debut at Carnoustie in 2007.

He will be looking to better his 2009 tied for 24th finish at Turnberry, which is so far the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links champion’s most successful result.