BIG NAMES AT OPEN LOCAL QUALIFYING AT LOTHIAN VENUES

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE R and A
Former Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Mark James lead a strong field at Local Final Qualifying (LFQ) for The Open Championship tomorrow.

The 2010 and 1999 European captains will be joined in the 288-man field by former Ryder Cup players Jarmo Sandelin, Paul Broadhurst and Peter Baker, three-time European Tour winners Andrew Oldcorn , Pablo Martin and Peter Hedblom, Alastair Forsyth, who has won twice, and veteran American Scott Dunlap.

Twelve places in The Open, which will be played at Muirfield from 18-21 July, are on offer at the 36 hole qualifying event which is being played over four East Lothian courses: Dunbar, Gullane No 1, The Musselburgh and North Berwick.

Fresh from a strong showing in the Constellation Senior Players Championship on the Champions Tour in the US where he finished tied 9th, Monty said he was hoping to make his first appearance in The Open since 2010 when he finished tied 68th.

“The Open is the biggest championship in the game and we all want to play in it,” added the 50-year-old Scot. “Any time it’s played in Scotland it’s a bit extra special for me and I’m hopeful I can qualify and take my place at Muirfield.”

The eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner will tee off at 8.40am and 2.10pm at Gullane No 1 in the company of young Scot Zack Saltman, whose brothers Lloyd, the Silver Medal winner at the 2005 Open and Elliot, are also seeking to qualify at Musselburgh and Dunbar respectively, and England’s Max Orrin, who reached the semi-finals of last month’s Amateur Championship at Royal Cinque Ports.

James (59), the winner of 18 European Tour events whose best finish in The Open was tied third at Royal St George’s in 1981, tees off at 9.00am at Gullane No 1 and will be looking to make his first appearance in The Open since 2000.

Having won last week’s Regional Qualifying event at Bruntsfield, Oldcorn (53) is aiming for a repeat of 26 years ago when he came through LFQ to qualify for The Open at Muirfield. 

Also in the field at Gullane are Spaniard Martin, who became the first amateur to win an event on the European Tour at the Estoril Open de Portugal in 2007, and who has won two further Tour events, Forsyth, who won the Madeira Islands Open in 2008, Dunlap, who finished in a tie for 10th at The Open in 1999, and former Walker Cup player Steven O’Hara, who played in The Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes last year.

Former Ryder Cup players Baker and Broadhurst head the field at North Berwick along with Sweden’s Hedblom, who won the 2009 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Former Amateur Champion Iain Pyman, who won the Silver Medal at The Open in 1993, is also in the field. Fifer George Murray, who finished in a tie for third at the 2011 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, will be hoping to qualify to make his debut in The Open Championship.

At The Musselburgh, former Ryder Cup player Sandelin will be in the field alongside the 2010 St Andrews Links Trophy champion Matthew Southgate. 

At Dunbar, Jin Jeong, the 2010 Amateur Champion at Muirfield, will be seeking a return to the famous East Lothian links along with the 2012 Amateur Champion Alan Dunbar and 2011 runner-up Michael Stewart.

Entry to the LFQ venues is free of charge. For the full draw for Local Final Qualifying at Dunbar, Gullane No1, North Berwick and The Musselburgh visit TheOpen.com.

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