Last-Chance Qualifier

A former Amateur Champion and a YouTube star will be among the 12 players competing for the final Royal Birkdale place at the inaugural Last-Chance Qualifier.

This year, for the first time ever, a dramatic qualification showdown will take place in the week of The Open, with one coveted spot at golf’s original championship on offer.

The stroke play event will get under way at 7:30am BST on Monday 13 July, contested over 18 holes on the famous Southport links.

Aldrich Potgieter, who won The Amateur Championship as a 17-year-old in 2022 and has since played in The Open twice, Matti Schmid, who finished tied fourth at May's PGA Championship, and Wesley Bryan, one half of the popular Bryan Bros YouTube channel, are among those competing.

Joe Dean, Adri Arnaus, Andrew Wilson, Frazer Jones and Angel Hidalgo have all previously played in The Open and are aiming to earn a return to the Championship.

Meanwhile, Charles Huntzinger and John Gough are each bidding to make their Open debut after narrowly missing out at Final Qualifying.

The field also includes three amateurs; Matt Moloney, runner-up at this year’s Amateur Championship, and English duo Frazer Jones and Sam Easterbrook.

The full field is as follows:

• Aldrich Potgieter

• Matti Schmid

• Matt Moloney (a)

• Joe Dean

• Sam Easterbrook (a)

• Adri Arnaus

• John Gough

• Angel Hidalgo

• Charles Huntzinger

• Andrew Wilson

• Wesley Bryan

• Frazer Jones (a)

All players earned their places in the Last-Chance Qualifier after meeting the exemption criteria set out by The R&A in December.

Last-Chance Qualifier has been introduced as part of a series of enhancements intended to elevate the experience of those attending The Open, with spectators on-site able to follow all the drama as it happens.

Live scores and updates will also be available on TheOpen.com throughout.