Marcel Schneider

Schneider makes his Open Championship debut after taking the first of two places offered at recent Challenge Tour events.

The 31-year-old won his second title on the circuit by one stroke thanks to three closing birdies at the Kaskada Golf Challenge in the Czech Republic on July 4 – and that after running up a double-bogey seven on the 15th hole.

The former Austrian and Australian amateur champion turned professional in 2012 after being part of the winning Continental Europe side against Great Britain and Ireland at the St Andrews Trophy in Ireland. In the same season he represented Germany as they shared third spot in the World Amateur Team Championship won by an American line-up that included Justin Thomas.

He led the Pro Tour Order of Merit two years later, had his first Challenge Tour success in 2018 and last year was runner-up to Marc Warren on the main’s circuit’s Austrian Open.

Finishing second on the Challenge Tour rankings increased his opportunities for this season and he has so far posted two European Tour top-10s – joint eighth at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open in April and tied seventh in last month’s Porsche European Open.