11th June 2024

This article focuses on Regional and Final Qualifying for the 152nd Open Championship and in particular the performances of the amateur golfers seeking to earn a spot in the final field.

You will find below an Introduction to this year’s Open Championship followed by details on the fifteen Regional Qualifying events which are being played on 24th June 2024.

The results of Regional Qualifying will be added to this article in due course as will a commentary on Final Qualifying, which will be played on 2nd July 2024.

Introduction

156 players will contest this year’s Open Championship which will be played at Royal Troon G.C. on 18-21 July 2024.

Four amateurs have already earned exemptions into The Open through their recent performances: –
2023 Mark H. McCormack Medal Winner – Gordon SARGENT (USA)
2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion – Jasper STUBBS (AUS)
2024 Latin America Amateur Champion – Santiago DE LA FUENTE (MEX)
2024 African Amateur Championship NEW FOR 2024 – Altin VAN DER MERWE (RSA)

Three more amateur exemptions will be determined in the coming weeks: –
2024 Amateur Champion – TBD
2024 European Amateur Champion – TBD
2024 Open Amateur Series Winner* – TBD

*The Open Championship Amateur Series was introduced by The R&A in 2023. It offers an exemption to the player who gains the most WAGR points in the St. Andrews Links Trophy, the Amateur Championship and the European Amateur Championship events (as long as they didn’t win the Amateur or European Amateur Championships which meant they were already exempt).

The 2023 U.S. Amateur Champion Nick DUNLAP (USA) turned Pro in January 2024 after he won the American Express Championship at La Quinta. This decision meant he gave up his Open exemption.

The majority of the Open Championship field will be made up of exempt players; former major champions, winners of prestigious professional events, leading players in the OWGR and International Federation Ranking; and the handful of amateurs listed above.

The remaining players in the field have had to or will have to qualify either via The Open Qualifying Series or Regional and Final Qualifying.

28 places were allocated to The Open Qualifying Series. The leading 1-3 players, not already exempt, who make the cut at 12 professional tour events in 10 countries played in 2024 have / will secure these spots.

A further 16 spaces have also been given over to Regional and Final Qualifying. Regional Qualifying will be played on Monday 24th June 2024 and Final Qualifying on Tuesday 2nd July 2024. Players competing in Regional Qualifying are playing for the opportunity to play in Final Qualifying while the latter presents the actual gateway to The Open.

Regional Qualifying

Regional Qualifying will take place over 18 holes at 15 venues across Great Britain and Ireland on 24th June 2024.

Any professional or amateur with a handicap index no higher than 0.4 (scratch) or a WAGR listing of 1st-2,000th during 2023-24 could enter Regional Qualifying subject to paying the £200 entry fee.

At the close of entries 1,958 players were listed as teeing it up in Regional Qualifying with 903 of these being amateurs.

Qualifying places will be allocated by The R&A when all players have teed off at the 15 venues (normally around 3.00pm). By way of indication a total of 117 places were provided in 2023 with 7-8 from each site.

In due course a number of Reserves from Regional Qualifying will also be promoted to the four Final Qualifying event fields as players withdraw from Final Qualifying.

Here is a summary of the 15 Regional Qualifying events with some of the more notable amateur entries listed:-

BEARWOOD LAKES, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,859 yards, par 72, course rating 74.0, slope rating 140
134 players / 57 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Frederik Dortmans (ENG)

CALDY, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,765 yards, par 72, course rating 73.3, slope rating 134
133 players / 69 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Caolan Burford (WAL)
Matt Dodd-Berry (ENG)
Joe Pagan (ENG)

COUNTY LOUTH, IRELAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
7,031 yards, par 72, course rating 74.4 , slope rating 131
139 players / 61 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Colm Campbell (IRL)
Hugh Foley (IRL)
Jack Hearn (IRL)
Thomas Higgins (IRL)
Seán Keeling (IRL)
Jack McDonnell (IRL)
Peter O’Keeffe (IRL)
Luke O’Neill (IRL)
David Shiel (IRL)
Gavin Tiernan (IRL)
Jake Whelan (IRL)

FERNDOWN, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,538 yards, par 71, course rating 72.1, slope rating 130
132 players / 63 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Jake Potter (ENG)

FRILFORD HEATH (RED), ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
7,045 yards, par 72, course rating 74.2, slope rating 138
85 players ~ / 35 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

~ Due to the high number of entries this year an additional qualifying event has been arranged by The R&A at Frilford Heath G.C. in Oxfordshire.

Notable Amateurs
Niall Shiels Donegan (SCO)

FULFORD, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,835 yards, par 72, course rating 74.0, slope rating 144
135 players / 56 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Barclay Brown (ENG) Pro
Charlie Daughtrey (ENG)
Michael Hay (ENG)

GOSWICK, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,848 yards, par 72, course rating 74.2, slope rating 132
135 players / 68 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Morgan Blythe (ENG)
Daniel Bullen (SCO)
Brodie Cunningham (SCO)
Jack McDonald (SCO)
Dominic McGlinchey (SCO)
Cameron Mukherjee (SCO)
Oliver Mukherjee (SCO)
Samuel Mukherjee (SCO)

HESKETH, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,700 yards, par 71, course rating 73.4 , slope rating 134
135 players / 85 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Will Coxon (ENG)
Billy Dowling (AUS)
Andrew Haswell (ENG)
Jake Hibbert (ENG)
Greg Holmes (ENG)
Paul Howard (ENG)
Tom Hughes (ENG)
Matthew Lever (ENG)
Jamie Van Wyk (ENG)

KEDLESTON PARK, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,912 yards, par 70, course rating 74.4, slope rating 129
132 players / 64 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Warren Bladon (ENG)
Seb Cave (ENG)
Jenson Forrester (ENG)
Daniel Hayes (ENG)
Max Hopkins (ENG)
Tom Osborne (ENG)
Jake Plumb (ENG)
Sam Potter (ENG)
Jake Sowden (ENG)
Jack Whaley (ENG)

KILMARNOCK (BARASSIE), SCOTLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,930 yards, par 71, course rating 74.7, slope rating 139
135 players / 65 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Cormac Sharpe (SCO)

MINCHINHAMPTON (COMPOSITE), ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,763 yards, par 72, course rating 73.6 , slope rating 130
130 players / 53 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Eliot Baker (ENG)
Nick Day (ENG)
Ashley Millington (ENG)
Matt Roberts (WAL)
Brandon Skidmore (ENG)

MOOR PARK (HIGH), ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,857 yards, par 72, course rating 73.8, slope rating 141
135 players / 62 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Zach Chegwidden (ENG)
Matt Gauntlett (ENG)
Conor Gough (ENG)
Zach Little (ENG)
Ben Quick (ENG)
Harley Smith (ENG)

NORTH HANTS, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,638 yards, par 70, course rating 71.7, slope rating 122
132 players / 57 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Josef Hacker (JER)
Oscar Lent (ENG)
Joe Sykes (ENG)
Harry Takis (AUS)
Freddie Turnell (ENG)

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTY, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,710 yards, par 70, course rating 72.5, slope rating 126
134 players / 54 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Ben Bolton (ENG)
Jack Buchanan (RSA)
Dominic Clemons (ENG)
Sam Marshall (ENG)

ROCHESTER & COBHAM PARK, ENGLAND
– click here to view The Open Website Results or Golfbox Results
6,594 yards, par 71, course rating 72.7, slope rating 131
132 players / 54 amateurs / TBD qualifying places

Notable Amateurs
Jack Lee (ENG)

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website (Regional Qualifying)

Final Qualifying

Final Qualifying will take place over 36 holes at Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire on 2nd July 2024.

There will be 288 players competing including a number of amateurs spread equally across the four sites.

A number of amateur and professional players are exempt directly into Final Qualifying based on their past playing achievements. The rest of the field will be made up of players who have come through Regional Qualifying.

A minimum of 16 places in The Open have been guaranteed by The R&A. Any ties for the last qualifying place in each event will be decided by a sudden-death play-off. Some Reserve spots will also be decided at these events.

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website (Final Qualifying)

Low Amateur Silver Medal

The Silver Medal is awarded to the leading amateur in The Open Championship who completes 72 holes. Bronze Medals are awarded to all other amateurs who complete 72 holes.

For more information on this prize please take a look at this article – The Open Championship’s Silver Medal.

More Championship Information

Click here to view the official – Open Championship Website

ME.

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