Funk facing Open dilemma

Fred Funk has earned a three-year exemption to the Open with his victory last night in the Players Championship in Florida.

But how much the 48-year-old, who beat Britain’s Luke Donald by a shot, makes use of it remains to be seen.

Funk, by seven years the oldest-ever winner of golf’s richest event, has played in the Open only four times in his career.

He was 73rd at Muirfield in 1992, withdrew from the 1999 championship at Carnoustie and missed the cut both at St Andrews the following year and at Sandwich in 2003.

After that last appearance he said: “I shouldn’t say I hated the golf course, but I hated the golf course. It didn’t reward good golf shots and I don’t understand how they could think that that’s golf.

“I think Carnoustie is a fabulous golf course, but was set up in a way that didn’t reward good golf shots.”

This year’s Open is back at St Andrews on July 14-17.