Final Qualifying

Final Qualifying for The Open is consistently among the most dramatic days in the golfing calendar and this year’s instalment was no different.

Five places were up for grabs at each of the four venues, with 288 golfers starting the day dreaming of a place at Royal Portrush.

Four teenagers, past challengers and Amateur Champions were among those to get the job done, with 20 players now looking forward to golf’s ultimate test.

Richard Teder sealed a spot at The 153rd Open in style at West Lancashire, sparking scenes that will live long in the memory.

The Estonian was heading down the third play-off hole with FQ specialist Sam Bairstow and Ronan Mullarney when he pitched in from the fairway for a remarkable eagle.

Teder was lifted into the air by his caddie and said: "It doesn’t feel real to have qualified for The Open. I couldn’t believe the shot went in – it just disappeared. It’s an unbelievable feeling.

“Everyone dreams of playing in a major. I didn’t think I would ever get to play in a major, but here I am!”

Oliver Lindell had secured his place on the previous hole, draining a birdie putt having earlier given up on his Open dream while sitting in the clubhouse on 5-under.

“I saw we dropped to T6 so I went to pack my golf clubs,” he said. “But something happened, I went back to T5 and I said to my caddie ‘it’s time to go to the range’.

“I played here last year and was three shots short, so to come back and qualify is great.”

Lucas Herbert led the way in the north-west, rounds of 69 and 67 ensuring the Australian will join compatriots Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman in Northern Ireland.

“I’m super excited to be going to Portrush,” he said.

“I love playing in The Open. For us Australians, it was the major we watched overnight growing up.”

Sampson Zheng [below right] (seven-under) and George Bloor (six-under) also punched their Portrush tickets, with both set to make their major championship debuts in a fortnight’s time.

Zheng said: “I had an opportunity (to reach The Open) at the Asia-Pacific Amateur (Championship) in 2023 but lost in a play-off there. I’m excited to finally get to play.”

Bloor added: “I made a 15-foot putt for birdie on 16 and that’s when I thought it could be my day. I followed it up with a great tee shot on the par-3 and just felt that it could happen. I am hugely excited and counting down the days.”

From debutants to seasoned campaigners, Lee Westwood rolled back the years at Dundonald Links to seal a return to a competition he knows so well.

Westwood, who played in 27 consecutive Opens following his debut in 1995 and tied for fourth at Royal Portrush six years ago, turned on the style in his second round with a 5-under-par 67 to finish 7-under for the day.

“The first time I played in The Open was in 1995 when I qualified at Leven and I thought it would be great to come back here and try to qualify for another one at Royal Portrush,” the 52-year-old said.

“It is a fantastic golf course, and I played well there last time. The Open Championship is the greatest tournament on the golfing calendar and as a British player, you get phenomenal support."

Daniel Young and Angel Hidalgo were a shot behind Westwood, the latter coming through Final Qualifying for the second year in a row – in slightly less dramatic circumstances than last time, when he holed out from the fairway on his final hole.

An eagle at the par-5 5th helped the Spaniard make a fine 67 in his second round, while Young recorded five birdies on a bogey-free card to do the same.

Jesper Sandborg finished on 5-under, following up his 68 first time around with a 1-under-par 71 to stay just the right side of the dotted line.

That meant a play-off between two Scots for the final spot and teenager Connor Graham sealed it at the first attempt, sticking his approach to the 10th green to eight feet and holing a tricky downhill putt.

“It was a long day but I’m delighted,” he said.

“It’s a pretty special feeling to be able to come here and qualify. Playing in The Open has been a dream of mine for a long time and being able to go there and play this year will be pretty cool.”

Dean Burmester [above] was the headline act at Royal Cinque Ports, leading five players into The 153rd Open on an absorbing day.

The South African equalled the course record (64) – which was only set by David Puig earlier in the day – on his way to a 36-hole tally of 10-under-par.

This impressive score brought with it a fourth visit to The Open for the 36-year-old to go alongside his appearances in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

“That’s one of the best rounds of golf I’ve played,” he said of his eight-under second round. “It was just flawless from the get-go this afternoon.

“Basically from the 1st hole it looked like every putt was going to go in, and that’s pretty much what happened for the next 17 holes.

“I’m super chuffed with the way it’s turned out. It was a goal of mine to get to Portrush. Now I’ve got to find some accommodation!”

Burmester sank one eagle and six birdies during an immaculate afternoon display on a course which hosted The Open for the only time in 1920.

Joining Burmester in Royal Portrush will be joint runners-up Nathan Kimsey [above] and Curtis Knipes (six-under), amateur Sebastian Cave (five-under) and Dane John Axlesen (four-under).

Knipes was the youngest player in the field (18) the last time The Open was staged at Portrush, in 2019, when he came through Final Qualifying for the first time.

But it will be a maiden appearance for Kimsey, Cave and Axelsen.

Meanwhile, Spanish golfer Puig, who qualified for Royal Troon last year, had set the new Cinque Ports course record with his superb first-round 64, only to fall away after lunch with a disappointing 78.

Burmester’s compatriot Erik van Rooyen threatened to challenge in round two with four straight birdies but was hurt by a bogey and a double-bogey late on.

Amateur Luke Poulter – son of Ryder Cup hero Ian – was also in the reckoning in the for a long time only to finish bogey, bogey, double-bogey to ruin his chances.

And GB&I Walker Cup star John Gough agonisingly finished just one stroke away from the desired mark.

Burmester was not the only South African to succeed and shared a Facetime call with close friend Justin Walters after the latter topped the leaderboard at Burnham & Berrow.

The 44-year-old compiled rounds of 65 and 68 to finish nine-under-par on the Somerset coast and complete an emotional return to The Open, 11 years on from his debut at Royal Liverpool.

“When I heard I was through, it all hit me at once," Walters said. "It was lovely to experience some joy for a change, it has been a tough couple of years.

“I came really close last year, I felt like I’ve messed up the last two US Open qualifiers too and I thought I was running out of opportunities to play majors.

“They are where you want to be and what we work hard for, so to be out there again is surreal.”

The 2024 Amateur Champion Jacob Skov Olesen, who made the cut on his Open debut at Royal Troon last year, will return for another shot after finishing on eight-under alongside Harry Hall.

Cornishman Hall has been in impressive form on the PGA Tour this year and took that into Final Qualifying, twin rounds of 67 securing an Open debut.

“It means a lot to be able to play against the best in the world in a big tournament,” he said. “I want to win a green jacket, a claret jug, and you have to be in it to win it.”

Teenager Frazer Jones will also make his Open bow after reeling off four consecutive birdies down the back nine in a stunning finish.

A 30-foot putt on the 12th started his charge and Jones, who also birdied the 17th for good measure, finished his day 7-under with his father on the bag.

“I said to dad walking down 10, 2-under at that point, we just said go for it,” he said. “The birdie putts just dropped and here we are.”

Another upcoming Open debutant, OJ Farrell, rounded off the qualifiers on 6-under after two rounds of 68.

He edged out Anirban Lahiri, who missed out in a play-off last year and was a shot adrift this time, and Chris Wood, who bogeyed two of his final three holes to drop out of contention.