A total of 17 Members of The European Tour won the right to compete in the 131st Open Golf Championship at Muirfield this week after successfully negotiating the Final Qualifying Stages while the outstanding achievement came from the Challenge Tour's Benn Barham.
Englishman Barham flew the flag for the Challenge Tour by heading the list of seven qualifiers at Luffness New while the best 36 hole aggregate at North Berwick was achieved by former Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, Scott Henderson from Aberdeen.
Barham, winner of the 2001 NCC Open in Sweden on the Challenge Tour, reached his first Open Championship after adding a 68 to his opening 65 for a total of 133, the same mark as Andrew Coltart (61, 72), Peter Baker (65, 68) and amateur John Kemp (65, 68).
Three European Tour Members – Paul Eales, Jarrod Moseley and Magnus Persson Atlevi – all qualified on 134.
Henderson, who captured the rookie award in 1997 but has since lost his card on The European Tour and Challenge Tour, bounced back with rounds of 65 and 68 for 133, nine under par. He said: “The last time I played at Muirfield was in the Amateur Championship some years ago and it’’s nice to be going back there.”
South African Trevor Immelman shot rounds of 63 and 72 to qualify on 135 while David Park and Roger Wessels edged home after a sudden-death play-off with Trevor Whitehouse of England. The Tour Members made par and birdie respectively at the second extra hole to secure the right to tee up at Muirfield on Thursday.
Sweden’’s Patrik Sjöland shot 65, 69 for a total of 134 and a share of top spot at Dunbar with amateur Simon Young. Another Swede, Mattias Eliasson, and England’’s Ian Garbutt, also qualified on 137.
Two players shot 11 under par totals of 131 at Gullane No.1 to find their way into the Open Championship field. Sweden’’s Fredrik Andersson tagged a 69 onto his opening 62 to share top place with South African James Kingston.
As well as Andersson, other successful European Tour Members to come through safely were Adam Mednick, John Senden and Raymond Russell on 133 while Richard Green finished on 134 and birdied the first play-off hole to get through along with Gary Emerson, who birdied the fourth extra hole.
