No joy for 23 Irish in Open qualifying

Limerick’s Tim Rice

Ireland's 23 hopefuls came up short in the Final Qualifying race for 12 spots in The Open at Royal Portrush.

There were three spots on offer at each of the four Final Qualifying venues across the UK with Limerick's Tim Rice two strokes shy at Fairmont St Andrews, where he carded rounds of 71 and 67 to finish tied fourth on two-under-par.

American amateur Brandon Wu and Scots Connor Syme and Sam Locke took the spots there while at St Annes Old Links, England's Garrick Porteous and Jack Senior won by five shots on 10-under par from compatriot Matthew Baldwin with Kilkenny's Luke Donnelly the best of the Irish on one-under.

Portmarnock amateur Conor Purcell finished six shots off the qualifying mark on two-under at Prince's where English amateur Curtis Knipes and compatriot Callum Shinkwin won by a shot from Canadian Austin Connelly on nine-under.

At Notts (Hollinwell) Naas amateur Robert Brazill was the best of the Irish, nine strokes outside a playoff for the last of three spots that saw Ashton Turner prevail over David Coupland on the third extra hole.

Andrew Wilson took the honours by a shot from amateur Thomas Thurloway on seven-under.

The Open, Final Qualifying

At Notts (Hollinwell) (Par 72)

Qualifiers — 1, A Wilson (Eng) 69 68 137; 2, T Thurloway (a) (Eng) 69 69 138; T3 A Turner (Eng) 67 72 139 (at 3rd extra hole). Non-qualifier: T3, D Coupland (Eng) 72 67 139. Irish — T34, R Brazill (a) (Naas) 73 75 148, T Hogarty (Rodway Hill) 78 70 148; 61, N Quinn (Chartridge Park) 80 80 160; RTD, G Shaw (Moyola Park), M Hoey (Golf at Galgorm Resort & Spa), B McCarroll (West Cliffs).

At Fairmont St Andrews (Par 70) 

Qualifiers — 1, B Wu (a) (USA) 64 67 131 ; 2, C Syme (Sco) 67 67 134; 3, Sam Locke (Sco) 69 67 136. Non-qualifiers — T4, S Lewton (Eng) 70 68 138, L Allan (Sco) 68 70 138, T Rice (Limerick) 71 67 138. Other Irish — T10, J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 70 70 140; T14 T McLarnon (a) (Massereene) 69 72 141; T24 K Phelan (Mt Juliet) 70 74; 30, T McKibbin (a) (Holywood) 74 71 145; T35 J Lyons (a) (Galway) 72 75 147; T38 J Murphy (a) (Kinsale) 76 72 148; T41 H Foley (a) (Royal Dublin) 76 73 149; T44 C Campbell (a) (Warrenpoint) 72 78 150; T53 R Knightly (a) (Royal Dublin) 79 74 153; WD S Carter (a) (Royal Dublin).

St Annes Old Links (Par 72)

Qualifiers — T1, Garrick Porteous (Eng) 67 67 134, J Senior (Eng) 67 67 134; 3, M Baldwin (Eng) 65 70 135. Non-qualifiers —  T4, C Blinkhorn (a (Eng) 67 69 136, S Tiley (Eng) 69 67 136, J Whatley (Eng) 69 67 136. Irish – T27, L Donnelly (PGA Catalunya Resort) 72 71 143; T41, D Sugrue (Dooks) 73 75 148; T45, D Keating (a) (Seapoint) 73 76 149; T57 T Mulligan (a) (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 78 154; RTD R Cannon (a) (Balbriggan) 70 RTD.

At Prince’s (Par 72)

Qualifiers — T1, C Knipes (a) (Eng) 67 68 135, C Shinkwin (Eng) 70 65 135; 3, A Connelly (Can) 70 66 136. Non-qualifiers — T4, D Howell (Eng) 69 68 137, J Suri (USA) 66 71 137. Irish — T 11, C Purcell (a) (Portmarnock) 71 71 142.