Nacho Elvira

Finally plays his first Open – and indeed his first major – at the age of 36 after taking the first of three places on offer at the Made in HimmerLand event in Denmark on July 9.

That does not tell the full story – he was the long-time leader, but ended up losing a marathon six-hole play-off to home hero Rasmus Hojgaard.

Elvira went into the event 584th on the world rankings and after missing eight of his last 10 halfway cuts. He represented Spain in the Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Team Championship in Buenos Aires in 2010 and after completing his scholarship at Texas A&M University turned professional the following year.

He came through the 2013 Challenge Tour in 14th place to earn promotion and after dropping back there he won three times in 2015 to earn an immediate return.

Lost a play-off for the 2016 Hassan Trophy in Morocco and years three later was involved in another at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia. After a thunderstorm delay there he faced a 30-foot putt to tie with Australian Scott Hend, made it, but then lost the shoot-out.

His maiden DP World Tour success did come, however, in the 2021 Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor. He had to go to sudden death yet again, but beat South African Justin Harding at the first extra hole.