Small field fights for Open spots

A field of just 44 will be chasing three places in July’s Open Championship at St Andrews tomorrow and Friday.

The 36-hole international qualifying event at Kingston Heath in Melbourne could have catered for 78 players and was open to anyone with world ranking points.

But 42 Australians and two New Zealanders are the only ones to have entered.

They include 50-year-old Peter Senior and 44-year-old Craig Parry, both of whom have come fourth in previous Opens, plus the trio who made it through 12 months ago – Michael Wright, Tim Wood and Kiwi Josh Geary.

Like Tiger Woods, Geary missed the cut at Turnberry by just a single stroke. Wood failed by six and Wright by 12.

The next qualifier is in South Africa next Wednesday and Thursday and that features 51 seeking three spots.

At St Andrews, meanwhile, more than 12 miles of state-of-the-art fibre-optic cable will be laid underground in time for The Open.

This allows live feeds from TV cameras, high-speed internet connections, telephones, CCTV systems and bar-code ticketing systems.

It will also facilitate the first high definition broadcast in the 55-year history of Open Championship television coverage. Back in 1955 coverage amounted to three cameras at the 16th, 17th and 18th holes.

“We extensively tested the technology at Turnberry last year and it proved to be a great success,” said Michael Wells, the Royal and Ancient Club’s assistant director – championships.

“It is a permanent asset to our Open Championship infrastructure and will help to keep The Open at the cutting edge of major sporting events.”