Graeme Storm and Raphael Echenique led a high quality 96-man field at Sunningdale with an impressive ten under-par score to clinch places in the field for The Open at Turnberry. In total ten of the European Tour’s finest qualified through International
Final Qualification around the New and Old courses of the Sunningdale
Golf Club.
A course record 62 left Storm in a strong position after round one. An eagle on his first hole gave the 31 year old from Hartlepool a relatively stress-free passage through the second round. Echenique also qualified with ease after 36 bogey-free holes.
Other qualifiers include European Tour veteran Gary Orr, who has not competed in the Championship since 2001 and fellow Scot David Drysdale, who will compete in the first major of his professional career. Branden Grace, Rafael Jacquelin, Paul Broadhurst and Rhys Davies were all amongst the qualifiers.
This left two remaining qualifying spots but with six players tied on 133, a sudden death play-off would be required. In the end, Richie Ramsay and Oliver Fisher held their nerve to earn a place in the biggest tournament of the year.
Internation Final Qualifying Leaderboard
T1 Rafa Echenique -10 T1 Graeme Strom -10
T3 David Drysdale -9 T3 Gary Orr -9 T3 Branden Grace -9
T6 Raphael Jacquelin -8 T6 Paul Broadhurst -8 T6 Rhys Davies -8
T9 Richie Ramsay -7 T9 Oliver Fisher -7
(Missed out in sudden death play-off) T9 Mark Foster -7 T9 Danny Willett -7 T9 Peter Lawrie -7 T9 Taco Remkes -7
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