Eighteen qualify at Sunningdale for
137th Open championship
R&A PRESS RELEASE
1 July 2008, Sunningdale, England: Simon Dyson and Peter Baker survived a six-man play-off, yesterday evening, for the last two qualifying places at IFQ - Europe, held at Sunningdale Golf Club. They have qualified to play in the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from July 17 to 20.
Alongside the English duo in the play-off were Ross McGowan and Chris Rodgers, also of England, Alastair Forsyth, of Scotland, and Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain. Forsyth and McGowan were both knocked out at the first extra hole after failing to get up and down, and Rodgers went at the next with a bogey.
On the third hole, Olazabal drove into the rough with a 5-wood and was forced to lay up, eventually playing his third from behind where Dyson's drive had finished. Baker was also safely on in two, leaving Olazabal a 20ft putt to keep his hopes of qualification alive, a putt which he left short.
Dyson was relieved to have made it, having got to six under par with three holes left of regular play before dropping two shots to end up in the play-off. But he hit his drive to within 70 yards of the green on the final play-off hole and hit a wedge to six feet, two putting for his par and a place at this year’s Open Championship.
“I’m thrilled really. I played really well and just had the wind change on me a couple of times in the last few holes. I can’t wait to get there. I have some friends up Southport way so maybe one of them will offer me a bed.”
Earlier in the afternoon Simon Wakefield followed an opening round of 65 with a 68 to finish among the top the qualifiers at IFQ Europe. A run of late birdies in his opening round of 65 allowed him the luxury of a steady 68 in the afternoon.
Though he’s never played the Open venue, he has strong memories of watching Ian Baker-Finch winning the 1991 Open at the venue. "At the time I’d lost interest in the game and was too busy climbing conker trees and not playing golf," said Wakefield. "But my mum and dad took me along there to try and inspire me to get back into the game."
Alongside Wakefield was Ariel Canete, the Argentinian, who had rounds of 67 and 66. A shot further back were Johan Edfors of Sweden, England’s Ross Fisher and two Frenchmen, Gregory Bourdy and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet. The Englishman summed up what they had achieved. “It’s why we play the game. The whole week is very special.”
Round of the day, however, belonged to a player from the group tied for seventh. Swede Alexander Noren had a mediocre morning 72 on the New Course, but followed up with a 63 on the Old Course in the afternoon to propel himself up the leaderboard and secure a spot at Birkdale.
Also with a total of 135 was 2007 Walker Cup player David Horsey made it through to The Open with fine rounds of 68 and 67. Horsey credited his recent win on the Challenge Tour with giving him the confidence he needed to play so well "winning a few weeks ago really kickstarted things for me," he said.
“I’m really looking forward to The Open. It’s been a steady progression for me through county golf and then Walker Cup and now The Open. It’s what you dream about.”
Other automatic qualifiers on 135 were the English quartet of Paul Waring, Anthony Wall, Steve Webster and Phil Archer, Austria's Martin Wiegele, Sweden's Pelle Edberg, Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima and South Africa's Thomas Aiken.
IFQ EUROPE QUALIFIERS
WAKEFIELD, Simon England 65 68 133 -7
CANETE, Ariel Argentina 67 66 133 -7
EDFORS, Johan Sweden 67 67 134 -6
GONNET, Jean-Baptiste France 66 68 134 -6
FISHER, Ross England 66 68 134 -6
BOURDY, Gregory France 66 68 134 -6
WARING, Paul England 68 67 135 -5
AIKEN, Thomas South Africa 68 67 135 -5
NOREN, Alexander Sweden 72 63 135 -5
EDBERG, Pelle Sweden 68 67 135 -5
WALL, Anthony England 66 69 135 -5
LIMA, Jose-Filipe Portugal 66 69 135 -5
HORSEY, David England 68 67 135 -5
WIEGELE, Martin Austria 69 66 135 -5
ARCHER, Phillip England 67 68 135 -5
WEBSTER, Steve England 68 67 135 -5
BAKER, Peter England 70 66 136 -4
DYSON, Simon England 65 71 136 -4
LOST IN PLAY-OFF
OLAZABAL, Jose Maria Spain 71 65 136 -4
RODGERS, Chris England 70 66 136 -4
FORSYTH, Alastair Scotland 65 71 136 -4
McGOWAN, Ross England 68 68 136 -4
Full results are available at Opengolf.com
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE NEWS FROM THE SUNNINGDALE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER
137th Open championship
R&A PRESS RELEASE
1 July 2008, Sunningdale, England: Simon Dyson and Peter Baker survived a six-man play-off, yesterday evening, for the last two qualifying places at IFQ - Europe, held at Sunningdale Golf Club. They have qualified to play in the 137th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale from July 17 to 20.
Alongside the English duo in the play-off were Ross McGowan and Chris Rodgers, also of England, Alastair Forsyth, of Scotland, and Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain. Forsyth and McGowan were both knocked out at the first extra hole after failing to get up and down, and Rodgers went at the next with a bogey.
On the third hole, Olazabal drove into the rough with a 5-wood and was forced to lay up, eventually playing his third from behind where Dyson's drive had finished. Baker was also safely on in two, leaving Olazabal a 20ft putt to keep his hopes of qualification alive, a putt which he left short.
Dyson was relieved to have made it, having got to six under par with three holes left of regular play before dropping two shots to end up in the play-off. But he hit his drive to within 70 yards of the green on the final play-off hole and hit a wedge to six feet, two putting for his par and a place at this year’s Open Championship.
“I’m thrilled really. I played really well and just had the wind change on me a couple of times in the last few holes. I can’t wait to get there. I have some friends up Southport way so maybe one of them will offer me a bed.”
Earlier in the afternoon Simon Wakefield followed an opening round of 65 with a 68 to finish among the top the qualifiers at IFQ Europe. A run of late birdies in his opening round of 65 allowed him the luxury of a steady 68 in the afternoon.
Though he’s never played the Open venue, he has strong memories of watching Ian Baker-Finch winning the 1991 Open at the venue. "At the time I’d lost interest in the game and was too busy climbing conker trees and not playing golf," said Wakefield. "But my mum and dad took me along there to try and inspire me to get back into the game."
Alongside Wakefield was Ariel Canete, the Argentinian, who had rounds of 67 and 66. A shot further back were Johan Edfors of Sweden, England’s Ross Fisher and two Frenchmen, Gregory Bourdy and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet. The Englishman summed up what they had achieved. “It’s why we play the game. The whole week is very special.”
Round of the day, however, belonged to a player from the group tied for seventh. Swede Alexander Noren had a mediocre morning 72 on the New Course, but followed up with a 63 on the Old Course in the afternoon to propel himself up the leaderboard and secure a spot at Birkdale.
Also with a total of 135 was 2007 Walker Cup player David Horsey made it through to The Open with fine rounds of 68 and 67. Horsey credited his recent win on the Challenge Tour with giving him the confidence he needed to play so well "winning a few weeks ago really kickstarted things for me," he said.
“I’m really looking forward to The Open. It’s been a steady progression for me through county golf and then Walker Cup and now The Open. It’s what you dream about.”
Other automatic qualifiers on 135 were the English quartet of Paul Waring, Anthony Wall, Steve Webster and Phil Archer, Austria's Martin Wiegele, Sweden's Pelle Edberg, Portugal's Jose-Filipe Lima and South Africa's Thomas Aiken.
IFQ EUROPE QUALIFIERS
WAKEFIELD, Simon England 65 68 133 -7
CANETE, Ariel Argentina 67 66 133 -7
EDFORS, Johan Sweden 67 67 134 -6
GONNET, Jean-Baptiste France 66 68 134 -6
FISHER, Ross England 66 68 134 -6
BOURDY, Gregory France 66 68 134 -6
WARING, Paul England 68 67 135 -5
AIKEN, Thomas South Africa 68 67 135 -5
NOREN, Alexander Sweden 72 63 135 -5
EDBERG, Pelle Sweden 68 67 135 -5
WALL, Anthony England 66 69 135 -5
LIMA, Jose-Filipe Portugal 66 69 135 -5
HORSEY, David England 68 67 135 -5
WIEGELE, Martin Austria 69 66 135 -5
ARCHER, Phillip England 67 68 135 -5
WEBSTER, Steve England 68 67 135 -5
BAKER, Peter England 70 66 136 -4
DYSON, Simon England 65 71 136 -4
LOST IN PLAY-OFF
OLAZABAL, Jose Maria Spain 71 65 136 -4
RODGERS, Chris England 70 66 136 -4
FORSYTH, Alastair Scotland 65 71 136 -4
McGOWAN, Ross England 68 68 136 -4
Full results are available at Opengolf.com
SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE NEWS FROM THE SUNNINGDALE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER
Labels: OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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