THREE STARTING BERTHS AT TURNBERRY

AVAILABLE AT IFQ - AFRICA

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY R&A
2 February 2009, Durban, South Africa: On Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 February 2009, International Final Qualifying - Africa will take place at Royal Durban Golf Club for the first time. A field of 44 will play for three available starting berths in The Open Championship, to be played 16 - 19 July at Turnberry, Scotland.
Three of last year’s qualifiers, Josh Cunliffe, Douglas McGuigan and Darren Fichardt, all of South Africa, will return trying to emulate their achievements of 2008. Fichardt, currently seventh in the Sunshine Tour’s 2009 Order of Merit, edged out defending champion Marc Cayeux to win the weekend’s Nashua Masters and both will hope to take that form into the 36-hole qualifier.
Jaco van Zyl is another who will hope to challenge after showing good early season form and winning last year’s Vodacom Origins of Golf final.
“Currently I’m feeling solid after finishing well last year and with a good start this year, but the qualifier is only two rounds and you cannot pace yourself like a four-round tournament. You have to play aggressively over all 36 holes,” said Van Zyl.
Adding further interest will be 2007’s IFQ - Africa winner, Adilson da Silva. The Brazilian will be hoping to make it to The Open for the third time after competing at St Andrews in 2000 and Carnoustie in 2007.
Play will commence at 8am local time on both Tuesday and Wednesday with live scores and stories published on http://www.opengolf.com/.