Justin Walters

Justin Walters’ only previous Open appearance was in 2014, but he is back again after making it through Final Qualifying in Burnham and Berrow.

Walters, a four-time runner-up on the DP World Tour, went into the day 681st in the world rankings, 500 places lower than his career high, but produced rounds of 65 and 68 to take the first of the five Royal Portrush places available on nine-under-par.

He has been playing mainly on the HotelPlanner Tour lately and after sharing a video call with fellow South African, and fellow qualifier, Dean Burmester the 44-year-old said: "I didn’t look at a leaderboard all day, so I had no idea where I stood, but obviously I knew I was playing well.

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

A winner on his home Sunshine Tour in 2004 and 2011, the closest to success he came to in Europe was the 2020 ISPS Handa Championship at The Belfry, where he was beaten on the second play-off hole by Rasmus Hojgaard.