Dozens of the country’s top amateurs start out on the road to Royal St George’s this weekend (June 26-27).
Because of Covid, the R&A have changed the system. Formally a number of regional qualifying venues fed into four final qualifying venues located close to where The Open was being staged.
Now regional and final qualifying is being held on the same four courses – Notts (Hollinwell), West Lancashire, St Annes Old Links near Preston and Princes in Kent. Tomorrow and Sunday each club will host a separate qualifier with a minimum of ten players making it through from each of the eight events.
Then in final qualifying, as has been the case for a number of years, the top three from each location will make it through to The Open, which starts at the iconic Kent club on July 15th.
At St Annes, former pro and leading English Senior Warren Bladon (Kenilworth) will tackle the Lancashire links course, as will ten-time Cumbria champion William Bowe (Workington) and three-time Cambridgeshire champion Ed Dimambro (Gog Magog).
Just a few miles further south at West Lancashire GC, England international Jack Brooks (The Mere) starts out on the Open trail alongside Lancashire champion Harry Lord (Rossendale) and Kent champion Tom Sherreard (Kingshill). Hertfordshire Bowl winner Louis Sanders (Copt Heath) and leading Scottish star James Wilson (Balmore) also have been drawn at the Merseyside links.
In the East Midlands, Wales Open Youths winner Benjamin Quick (Beaconsfield) takes on the considerable challenge of Hollinwell, as does Surrey county champion Aadam Syed (Foxhills). Nottinghamshire champion Jordan Boulton will be hoping home course advantage serves him well.
Meanwhile in the South East, Kent’s Ben Quinney (Kings Hill) makes the short trip over to Princes where the recent winner of the Lagonda Trophy will be hoping his excellent recent run continues. Last week’s Berkshire Trophy champion Zach Chegwidden (Orsett) also doesn’t have too far to go.