Open hopefuls prepare for places

Twelve places in next week’s Open will be determined this weekend – and 384 players are fighting for them.

Final qualifying takes place at four courses near St Andrews – Ladybank, Leven, Lundin and Scotscraig – and while the vast majority of the players are not known to anyone other than their nearest and dearest, there are some famous faces too.

Former European number one Ronan Rafferty, now very much a part-time golfer, and ex-American Ryder Cup player Brad Faxon are in the line-up at Lundin, while 1995 Ryder Cup team-mates Philip Walton and Per-Ulrik Johansson are at Leven and Ladybank respectively.

Five of next month’s Walker Cup side are trying to join colleagues Brian McElhinney and Matthew Richardson in the championship.

Durham’s Robert Dinwiddie, who smashed the Alwoodley amateur course record with a 65 in regional qualifying on Monday, and Scot Richie Ramsay are at Ladybank, Gary Wolstenholme and Rhys Davies at Leven, Lloyd Saltman and Gary Lockerbie at Scotscraig.

Elhinney and Richardson are exempt for St Andrews as the British and European champions respectively.