Senden eyes Open after first PGA Tour win

Australian John Senden held his nerve to win his maiden PGA Tour title at the John Deere Classic – and with it a chance to play in the Open championship.

Senden held off a determined challenge from American JP Hayes to card a final round 68 for a 19 under par total and one-shot victory.

Hayes’ closing 65 gave him outright second on 18 under with Germany’s Alex Cejka and American Heath Slocum tied for third two shots further back.

Senden held a four-shot lead going into the final round and got off to the perfect start with birdies at the first two holes, and then added another at the seventh.

However, a bogey on the ninth gave the chasing pack some hope and Hayes took advantage with birdies at the 11th and 14th before joining Senden at the top of the leaderboard with a four on the par-five 17th.

Senden followed suit after a 326-yard drive helped set up a two-putt birdie, and the Brisbane-born professional then saved par on the 18th from a greenside bunker to seal victory.

The leading player not already exempt for the Open secures the last available place for next week’s Open at Hoylake – if they want it, of course.

Last year’s winner Sean O’Hair had to enlist the help of the White House to get a passport to enable him to make the trip to St Andrews.