Sebastian Cave

Sebastian Cave was one of only four amateurs to progress through the 36-hole Final Qualifying events played across four courses on Tuesday 1 July.

The 21-year-old based in Melbourne, Derbyshire, was competing at Royal Cinque Ports and with rounds of 67 and 72 took the fourth of five spots up for grabs on five-under-par.

Cave was the winner of last year’s St Andrews Links Trophy by two strokes from Calum Scott and Harley Smith. That put him in pole position to take an Open place through the newly-introduced Amateur Series, but following the Amateur Championship and European Amateur it was Scott who topped the list and went on to claim the Silver Medal as leading amateur at Royal Troon.

Cave’s victory was followed by selection for Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe in the St Andrews Trophy at Royal Porthcawl and came after a fantastic first season in US collegiate golf, during which he was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year for the University of Alabama.

He was then signed by the University of North Carolina in Charlotte and broke their season-long scoring average record.

Cave was also a promising footballer in his younger days as part of the Blackburn Rovers academy.