Defending champion George Coetzee believes there is a tremendous opportunity for players to qualify for The 144th Open at St Andrews at this week’s Joburg Open in South Africa.
The leading three players who finish in the top ten and ties, who are not already exempt, will qualify for The Open, which will be played at the Home of Golf from July 16-19.
The Joburg Open, which is being held this week at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, is the third event in the 2015 Open Qualifying Series, following the Emirates Australian Open in November and the Thailand Golf Championship in December.
Coetzee achieved his first victory on The European Tour at the Joburg Open last year, thereby securing one of the three qualifying places on offer for The Open, along with fellow South African Justin Walters and Jin Jeong of South Korea.
The 28 year old from Pretoria made his fourth consecutive appearance in The Open at Royal Liverpool, where he finished in a tie for 18th. Coetzee is already exempt for this year’s Open at St Andrews.
He said: “I was absolutely delighted to qualify for The Open at the Joburg Open last year – it was a brilliant added bonus that came with the win. It’s a great idea to give guys the opportunity to qualify at European Tour events, and it means everyone has a lot to play for with places in a Major Championship at stake.
“It’s an amazing experience to play in The Open, and I received tremendous support from the galleries at Hoylake. I was pleased to finish in the top 20, and it gives me great confidence for this year. I’m really looking forward to playing in my first Open at St Andrews and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere there.”
The 2011 Open Champion and recently confirmed 2016 European Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke is also exempt, together with two-time European Tour winner Edoardo Molinari and South Africa’s Thomas Aiken.
Among the other contenders for qualifying places this week will be England’s Andy Sullivan, who won last month’s South African Open Championship, Sweden’s Alex Noren, who was runner-up to defending Open Champion Rory McIlroy in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month, and four-time European Tour winner Grégory Bourdy. Former Joburg Open champion Richard Sterne and last year’s qualifier Walters will also be hoping to secure a place at St Andrews.
The Amateur Champion Bradley Neil, who played in The Open at Royal Liverpool last year, will join them in the field this week.
Seven players have already secured places in The Open through the Qualifying Series: Rod Pampling, Brett Rumford and Greg Chalmers from the Emirates Australian Open and Marcus Fraser; and Scott Hend, Jonathan Moore and Anirban Lahiri from the Thailand Golf Championship.
Co-sanctioned by The European and Sunshine Tours, the Joburg Open will begin on Thursday with 210 players taking to Royal Johannesburg & Kensington’s East and West Courses. Following Friday’s second round, the field will be cut to the top 65 players and ties, who will play the final two rounds on the East Course.
