Paul McGinley
Paul McGinley will join Colin Montgomerie in the Open Championship qualifier at Sunningdale on Monday.
The former Ryder Cup player McGinley, 44, vice-captain alongside Montgomerie last year at Celtic Manor, has seen his world ranking slip to 573 and was not in the original 96-strong list who will battle for the 10 places at the Royal St George's course in Sandwich during July.
However, the Irishman has received a late call-up into the qualifier at his home course thanks to a fellow Dubliner, Peter Lawrie.
McGinley's world ranking of 551st at the close of entries had failed to earn him a place in a 96-strong field chasing 10 spots. But he came in as a reserve when Lawrie decided not to play after his wife Philippa gave birth to their fourth child – and first son – on Friday night.
The former world No1 Vijay Singh had already withdrawn after making the halfway cut at the Memorial tournament in Ohio.
The biggest name taking part is Montgomerie, who is desperate to make it 22 Open appearances in a row.
Liverpool's Nick Dougherty and the former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart also earned spots in the qualifier following the late withdrawals of Richard Finch and Felipe Aguilar.
Thomas Bjorn, who lost a three-shot lead in the last four holes when The Open was last at Sandwich in 2003, was among a number of late withdrawals from Monday's 36-hole qualifying competition at Sunningdale because of a back injury.
In a collapse for which he will always be remembered, Bjorn followed a bogey with a double bogey – he was in a greenside bunker and needed three attempts to get out – and then another bogey at the 17th.
A par on the last left Ben Curtis of the US the 2003 Open winner, playing the first major of his life, as the surprise winner and Bjorn in shock
At the Saab Wales Open last Friday, Bjorn missed the cut in his first tournament since the death of his father three weeks ago. There are still a number of avenues available to the Dane to be part of the starting line-up at Royal St George's next month.
No comments:
Post a Comment