Three Major Championship winners, 13 Ryder Cup players and more than 50 tournament winners, who between then have won some 230 titles on The European Tour International Schedule, will gather at Sunningdale on Monday hoping to claim one the 17 spots up for grabs for the Open Golf Championship at Royal Troon.
The field of 120 for the European leg of the International Final Qualifying will face 36 holes, one round on each of the Old and New courses at Sunningdale, in their quest for a coveted place in the field for the season’’s third Major Championship, which takes place at Royal Troon from July 15-18.
Play gets underway at 6.30am (05.30 GMT) with the last group teeing off at 16.11 (15.11 GMT) for their final round.
The Major Championship winners are European Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer of Germany, José Maria Olazábal of Spain and Ian Woosnam of Wales, winners of five Masters Tournaments, 24 Ryder Cup caps and 93 European Tour titles.
All three have come close to lifting the Claret Jug, with Langer finishing second twice, in 1981 behind Bill Rogers and again in 1984 to Seve Ballesteros, and third four times, in 1985, 1986, 1993 and 2001. Olazábal was third in 1992 to Nick Faldo and Woosnam was third in 1986 behind Greg Norman and again three years ago behind David Duval in 2001.
Thomas Levet arguably came closest to winning the Open Championship, losing out in play-offs in 2002 but he is back trying to qualify.
Seven-time Volvo Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie would dearly love to play at his home club where his father was secretary for many years and the Scot will be teeing up at 8.28am alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Pierre Fulke of Sweden in his attempt to qualify for the Open.
Indeed fsix members of Europe’’s victorious 2002 Ryder Cup team will go through the rigours of the 36 hole International Final Qualifying, Swede’’s Niclas Fasth and Jesper Parnevik and Ireland's Paul McGinley, joining Fulke, Langer and Montgomerie in the field.
This year’’s European Tour winners at Sunningdale include Frenchman Christian Cévaër (Canarias Open de España), Swede Christopher Hanell (Madeira Island Open), England’’s Simon Khan (Celtic Manor Wales Open), Germany’’s Marcel Siem (dunhill championship) and England’’s Miles Tunnicliff (Diageo Championship at Gleneagles).
International Final Qaulifying will also be taking place at Congressional in the United States.
After International Final Qualifying, further exemptions remain open with the following categories still to be determined:-
First two European Tour Members and ties, not otherwise exempt, in a cumulative money list from the Deutsche Bank –SAP Open TPC of Europe up to and including the Smurfit European Open and including the US Open.
The leading player, not otherwise exempt, in each of the 2004 Smurfit European Open and the 2004 Barclays Scottish Open.
First two US PGA Tour Members and ties, not otherwise exempt, in a cumulative money list from the US PGA Tour Players Championship and the five US PGA Tour events leading up to and including the Western Open.
The leading player, not otherwise exempt, in each of the 2004 Western Open and the 2004 John Deere Classic. The leading player, not otherwise exempt, in the 2004 Mizuno Open.
First four and ties, not otherwise exempt, in the top 20 of a cumulative money list from all official Japan Tour events from the 2004 Japan PGA Championship up to and including the Mizuno Open.
Local Final Qualifying will be played at Irvine, Glasgow (Gailes), Turnberry Kintyre and Western Gailes on Saturday 10, and Sunday 11, June when competitors will be playing for 12 Open Championship places.
