Home advantage certainly paid off for the 21 North West amateurs who made it through Regional Open Qualifying this weekend.
More than 1,000 amateurs and professionals started out on the road to Royal St George’s, hoping to secure one of 207 available spots in Tuesday’s Final Qualifying, where they will be joined by 81 seasoned European and Challenge Tour stars plus other well-known leading amateurs and pros from all over the world.
In contention for an Open spot – there will be three available at each of Hollinwell, Princes, St Annes Old Links and West Lancashire – is Lancashire Boys champion Andrew Haswell (Ormskirk).
Playing the last two holes at St Annes today, the 17-year-old knew he needed a birdie at either of the final two holes but managed to birdie both and finish on two under par, five behind EuroPro Tour player Jacob Oakley, the leading qualifier.
Also making it through from the Lancashire links venue today, where 19 players took part in a remarkable play-off for seven spots, was another talented junior Thomas Ratcliffe, one of three Southport & Ainsdale members to make it through. The 18-year-old also finished on two under despite a double bogey on the final hole.
Ratcliffe’s clubmates George Holland (at West Lancs today) and 2019 Lancashire Boys champion Jack McPhail, pictured above, (St Annes yesterday) also qualified.
At the other end of the age scale the evergreen John Carroll (Huyton & Prescot) finished on one under and joint 15th at West Lancashire yesterday.
Carroll, who first won the Lancashire County Championship in 2006, birdied three of the last last five holes to book his spot.
To view all the players who will take part in Final Qualifying click here