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NEL MONDO…GOLF AL Club Royal Birkdale DP World Tour members to progress from Final Qualifying.
By@Pierbattista Patrizia
By@Mirella Pierbattista BY@Elisa Nardocci Avv.
By@EXIBI
By@Redazione
Held over 36 holes at four venues across England and Scotland on Tuesday, 288 players began the day competing for 20 spots – five from each host site – in the field for the year’s final men’s Major Championship.
Baldwin will make his fourth appearance at The Open from July 16-19 after carding rounds of 69 and 71 for a four-under-par total at Dundonald Links.
A member at Royal Birkdale since he was 17, the Englishman made his Open debut at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012 and also competed at Royal Liverpool in 2014, before his most recent Major outing at Royal Portrush in 2019.
Asked what it means, he said: “Everything, really. I’m a Southport lad through and through.
“I have played The Open at Lytham and Hoylake so it would complete the set [of appearances at Open rota venues on the northwest coast of England].
“That’s the ultimate for me. I am 40 years old, so realistically this is my last chance to play at Birkdale [in The Open]. Whatever happens, it is going to be exciting.
“It will be the dream, amazing. I can imagine it will be nervewracking but it will be incredible.
“To have all my best friends, my family, my wife, everyone who means something to me there will be amazing.”
At West Lancashire, the crowds were out in force as Major Champions Danny Willett and Sergio Garcia along with professional golfers, turned content creators, Wesley Bryan and his brother George competed.
Scoring was low as Sam Bairstow claimed the leading qualifier honours with rounds of 66 and 68 to finish at 10 under.
Runner-up to future PGA TOUR winner Aldrich Potgieter in the 2022 Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes, the Englishman – a graduate of the HotelPlanner Tour in 2023 – is set for his third Open appearance.
At the same venue, Kazuma Kobori posted an impressive nine under to ensure his second Open appearance, two years on from his debut at Royal Troon.
Into his second full season on the DP World Tour, the New Zealander surged up the leaderboard as he produced a birdie-birdie finish for a second-round 65 to follow up his opening 70 and he is excited to be joining good friend Elvis Smylie and countrymen Daniel Hillier and Ryan Fox in the field.
“Ever since I played two years ago that’s been the main thing to get back there,” he said. “Really happy to have played the way that I did.
“I grew up playing junior golf with Elvis. You never think you are going to play together… Major or not, being on the DP World Tour together is a crazy deal, so it’s really a dream come true type scenario.”
The final spot of the day across all four venues was earned by Matthew Jordan, who emerged from a three-man play-off with countrymen Joe Dean and amateur Sam Easterbrook after the trio finished at eight under.
Jordan, who came through Final Qualifying to play at his home club Royal Liverpool in 2023, produced an exquisite approach for a tap-in birdie at the second play-off hole to secure his spot and is excited to make it five years in a row where he has competed at The Open.
“I have had that affinity with The Open since watching Tiger [Woods] in 2006 and [Rory] McIlroy in 2014 [at Hoylake],” he said.
“Being [a member] on a course which hosted The Open, every time I was on the putting green I had a putt for The Open.
“Obviously to then play in it and have the experiences I have had, it has just snowballed. It is just the best tournament in the world, I just love it.”
At Royal Cinque Ports, Matthew Southgate underlined his reputation as a specialist of Final Qualifying as he came through the demanding test for a remarkable sixth time in his career.
The Englishman won his first HotelPlanner Tour title earlier this month as he targets a return to the DP World Tour at the end of the year and showed his experience to post a bogey-free 66 after a 68 in the morning to finish at ten under.
Tied sixth when The Open was last held at Royal Birkdale in 2017, the 37-year-old is pleased to continue his association with an event he has worked as an on-course commentator too.
“It’s lovely to be a part of the Open Championship, whatever position you are in,” he reflected. “The top of the tree is obviously to play in the championship. Great memories at Birkdale. It is extremely special to be going back and playing.
The next couple of weeks, I just love the build-up, you can start to get your teeth into all the linksy shots and practising to be ready as you can. It is all good.
“It was lovely to get over the line in Switzerland [on the HotelPlanner Tour]. It put some demons to bed for me and hopefully things will be on the up now and I am trending in the right direction. My game feels great.”
Joining Southgate in qualifying from the Deal venue was three-time DP World Tour winner Antoine Rozner, who birdied his final three holes to finish at eight under and secure the fifth and final spot on offer.
“It feels awesome,” said the Frenchman who has made the cut at each of his four previous Major starts.
“It was such a tough day, a long day. I was outside the cut line for a long time and maanged to have an amazing finish.
Really excited to go to Birkdale. It will be such a great week. I’m super excited. Majors are such different weeks, it is very unique.
“We play the toughest golf courses in the world. It’s exciting, I’m looking forward to be there and discovering that course.”
James Nicholas topped the standings on a day of changing weather at Burnham & Berrow with rounds of 65 and 67 as the American came through qualifying for the second straight Major of the year.
The American, who hit the opening tee shot at the U.S. Open, was competing on the Korn Ferry Tour before making the long journey from Missouri over the weekend and will now make his debut at The Open.
“Today was just a battle,” said Nicholas, who held DP World Tour membership in 2024 after coming through three stages of Qualifying School.
“I’ve played the DP World Tour, Irish Open at Royal County Down, Dunhill Links at St Andrews, Carnosutie and Kingsbarns. This is what I am used to.
“I played the Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar back in the day. I love links golf, it is the purest test of golf. It is almost like a religious experience.”
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