FOUR PLACES IN OPEN AT CARNOUSTIE
AVAILABLE IN IFQ (AFRICA)
ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY

The ink on their final scorecards at theinaugural Joburg Open was barely dry before Sunshine Tour professionals walked across to the West Course at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to prepare for the African leg of International Final Qualifying for The 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie.
The West course, which received the rich praise from the 204-man field playing their first or second rounds there last week, is pristine and fully rested ahead for this week's competition that will see the 47-man field battle for the top four spots.
As one of the most prestigious golf clubs in Johannesburg, where the East Course has been touted as a blue blood championship course and where the tougher of the two lay-outs, the West, proved last week that it is no walk-over.
Although its elder sibling has a great pedigree, the 18-hole Parklands West course, with its scenic, tree-lined fairways and gently rolling slopes, fooled the better part of the field during the Johannesburg Open.#
TWO-INCH ROUGH GROWTH
While the fairways may be wider, after the recent summer showers the rough has grown a good couple of inches and the West is guaranteed to deliver an exciting finale on Wednesday.
Leading the challenge is pint-sized Warren Abery, who has his sights set on making it two-in-a-row after a start-to-finish victory in last year's IFQ on the East course.
But the reigning Nashua Masters champion, who tied for 55th on the weekend, is more than aware that his dream is under enormous threat from a number of challengers who enjoyed top-20 success on Sunday, including Hennie Otto, Mark Murless and Doug McGuigan.
"I'm working on a swing change with long-term results, so I did not expect to play all that well last week," said Abery, who shot rounds of 66 and 70 to triumph last year.
"But no matter what you tell your mind, when it comes down to a spot in The Open, your heart takes over. I will just have to remind myself that I need to be patient and focus on the long-term goals."
Otto, no stranger to The Open, is riding a wave of resurging form. A six-time winner on the Sunshine Tour, Otto soared into contention in the first round of the Joburg Open and held form to finish alone in third on Sunday. McGuigan, 36, tied for eighth at the Joburg Open, is looking forward to the challenge.
NOTHING COMPARES
"There is nothing that compares to playing in the Open Championship," said McGuigan, who won the Telkom PGA Pro-Am in October and tied for eighth on Sunday. "It is the ultimate dream of every golfer; to hold the Claret Jug. That's why we are all here - to have the chance to live the dream."
Murless, who tied for fourth, has his sights set on at least one of the four spots at Carnoustie. "I've had a good run lately and I hope that it culminates in a spot on Wednesday," Murless said ahead of the first round on Tuesday.
"The course is in great shape and I am ready for the challenge, but there are a lot of guys to watch out for."
IFQ (Africa) is one of five such qualifiers, the others being Australasia, Asia, Europe and the USA, in the build-up towards The Open Championship at Carnoustie in July.
IFQ (Africa) will be decided over 36-holes of strokeplay on Tuesday and Wednesday with no cut.
Exempt places into The Open will be awarded to the leading four players.
Full details of play can be viewed on www.opengolf.com