Ayrshire’s Dundonald Links was the stage for a dramatic day of Open Championship Final Qualifying, with several big names coming up short as players fought for a spot at golf’s oldest tournament.
Kyle Phillips’ dramatic layout proved a challenge worthy of the occasion, with only 16 players from the 73-strong field able to break par. Among the players to miss out on the qualification were PGA Championship hero Michael Block, two-time European Tour winner Robert Rock and three-time PGA Tour winner Jason Kokrak, who was disqualified during the second round.
Final Qualifying for the 151st Open Championship took place concurrently at four UK venues on July 4, with Scotland’s Michael Stewart producing an outstanding second round of 66 to claim victory at the Dundonald Links showdown. Englishman Marco Penge finished in second place, two points off the lead, to qualify alongside Australia’s Connor McKinney and Stewart’s compatriot Graeme Robertson. While the full field is yet to be confirmed, the qualified players will rub shoulders with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm at Royal Liverpool from July 20-23.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, players including Matthew Jordan, Alex Fitzpatrick (brother of 2022 U.S. Open winner Matt) and Matt Wallace successfully claimed places in this month’s Open Championship. However, Dundonald was far from the only course to claim several big names, with stars such as Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Ryder Cup winner Jamie Donaldson falling short.
Dundonald Links’ layout has grown into one of the Scotland’s most popular golf courses since opening in 2005. Host of the Women’s Scottish Open in both 2022 and 2023, the course has been transformed into a luxury resort since being purchased by Darwin Escapes in 2019 and now boasts a modern clubhouse, the Canny Crow restaurant and an exclusive Whisky Room alongside the new accommodation options.
Many players chose to stay onsite at Dundonald during their bid to qualify for the Open Championship, including Block, who grabbed the attention of the golfing world with an outstanding display at the PGA Championship. The club professional, 47, had high praise for the venue ahead of his round.
Block said: “I love it here - it’s a perfect venue. I studied all four qualifying courses really closely to make a decision over where I wanted to play. I am glad I chose here; the practice facility is amazing, and the course is such a great test of golf.”
Ashley Pheasant, head of golf at Darwin Escapes, said: “It’s a privilege to host prestigious events and see so many exceptional players battle it out on our links course.
“Being part of the final stage of qualification for golf’s oldest tournament is testament to how far we have come in such a short space of time. Congratulations to everyone who qualified, and we wish them all the best of luck at the Open Championship in a few weeks.”