Matti Schmid

One of only two players to become European amateur champion two years in a row, Schmid took the Silver Medal awarded to the leading amateur on his second appearance in 2021, finishing joint 59th.

This is his first Open since then and it was only at the end of the Genesis Scottish Open on Sunday that he knew he would be travelling on to Royal Portrush. Three spots were on offer to non-exempt players in the last leg of the Qualifying Series and thanks to a birdie at his penultimate hole and then a closing par he grabbed the third of them by virtue of a higher world ranking than England’s Andy Sullivan, who also finished in a tie for 17th, and only after American Jake Knapp – joint third after 54 holes – bogeyed the last when he required a birdie.

The 27-year-old was the DP World Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2022, but has been competing primarily on the PGA Tour for the past two seasons and in May was runner-up to Ben Griffin at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he fired a second-round 63. It took him from 125th to 76th on the world rankings and that boost paid massive dividends at the weekend.