Dubliner David Carey and Galway’s Ronan Mullarney were pinching themselves last night after coming through Final Qualifying to clinch their places in The 150th Open at St Andrews.

Sixteen places were up for grabs at four UK venues and Alps Tour regular Carey, who turned 26 on Saturday, followed a four-under 68 in high winds and rain at Fairmont St Andrews with a 69—which included an eagle and three birdies—holing a 50-footer at the last to top the qualifiers by four shots on seven-under.

It will be his first appearance on the DP World Tour.

“You may as well start at the top,” Carey joked.

Mullarney tied for second at Prince’s in Kent on three-under after scores of 70 and 71 and immediately set off for Essex to compete on the third-tier PGA Europro Tour.

Scoring

“I’m very big on my golf history,” Darwin Escapes sponsored Carey said. "I have been saying to everybody for the last three months that I wanted to play in The 150th Open at St Andrews, so this is special.

“I went to the Old Course for the first time yesterday and walked around the first, second, 17th and 18th. I just had a look around the place and that was maybe the extra inspiration for me.

“That was the first time I’d seen it and it is so cool to be able to walk it and see the stands and just look at everything.

"Today I was just trying to stay patient and do the simple things. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks. I’ve had a lot of solid scores without anything amazing, so I felt like I had been close to a really good week.”

Carey admitted he hadn’t played links in quite a while.

“I’m very happy. It was a long day, especially with the rain and wind there this afternoon. I was just trying to stay patient and do the simple things. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks. I’ve had a lot of solid scores without anything amazing, so I felt like I had been close to a really good week.

“I know this is a shocking admission by someone from Ireland, but I haven’t actually played a links course in about two years, so when I got here and saw it was quite soft, I was happy as it was a little more familiar to me.

“I knew that two of us were in -6 and the next were on -3. I always take the flag out but, on this occasion, decided to leave it in in case it helps and it barely got there before dropping in. That was a good bonus to finish.

“I think it was more a feeling of relief than a celebration as it was job done.”

Mullarney (26), a winner at St Andrews in the 2018 R&A Scholars Tournament, was also thrilled after finishing with two birdies in his last four holes to avoid a five-man playoff for the final spot.

“It’s brilliant, I’m delighted,” the former Irish Close champion said. “Playing in The Open is something you dream of but I don’t want to be starstruck by it all. I want to go there and compete.”

DP World Tour winner Marcus Armitage and amateur Sam Bairstow, runner-up in The Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes to South African Aldrich Potgieter two weeks ago, topped the standings on an eight-under-par total of 136 at St Annes Old Links.

Armitage carded two rounds of 68 to secure his third appearance in The Open, while it was a case of history repeating itself for English amateur Bairstow who earned his place through Final Qualifying at the same venue for the second year running.

They will be joined by Matthew Jordan who finished one stroke behind on a seven-under-par total of 137. The Royal Liverpool golfer, who won the St Andrews Links Trophy as an amateur, put together rounds of 69 and 68 to earn his first ever appearance in The Open and a major championship debut next month.

The fourth qualifying place at St Annes Old Links was determined by a two-way play-off between John Perry and Daniel Kay who tied for fourth place on six-under-par. The pair were separated by Parry’s par at the second play-off hole as the Scot could only manage double bogey.

Hollinwell

At Hollinwell, amateur Barclay Brown set the early pace after rounds of 68 and 72 gave him the clubhouse lead on a four-under-par total of 140.

An eagle on the par-5 3rd hole got the Great Britain and Ireland international off to a strong start and he picked up two birdies on the 14th and 16th to complete an excellent first round. A steady level par 72 in the second round ensured the Stanford University student claimed the first qualifying place with no one in the field able to catch him.

Richard Mansell followed a similar path to The Open after earning his place in the Championship through Final Qualifying at Hollinwell for the second year running. Despite an opening one-over-par 73, the Englishman fought back in the second round to card a three-under-par round of 70 for a one-under-par total.

He was joined on the same mark by Oliver Farr and the three-time Challenge Tour winner will tee it up in The Open for the first time along with Marco Penge who finished a shot further back on a level par total of 144.

Prince’s

Winner Ronan Mullarney (Galway) celebrates his win in the AIG 2019 Irish Amateur Close Championship at Ballybunion Golf Club (07/08/2019). Picture by Pat Cashman

In sunny, but windy conditions on the Kent coast, Matthew Ford qualified for The Open to make his major championship debut after he led the qualifiers at Prince’s on a five-under-par total of 139.

The Englishman started off with a steady round of 71 before experiencing a rollercoaster second round in which he mixed two eagles and three birdies with a double bogey and two bogeys.

Nevertheless, a four-under-par 68 led to Ford finishing two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard ahead of compatriot Jamie Rutherford and Irishman Ronan Mullarney, a former R&A Foundation Scholar, who tied for second on three-under-par. Both players matched each other with rounds of 70 and 71.

A play-off decided the final qualifying place as Matthew Southgate’s birdie putt from five feet slipped agonisingly past the hole on the last to leave five players level on two-under-par. Jack Floydd went on to prevail among the group of hopefuls in sudden death with a birdie at the first play-off hole.

Fairmont St Andrews

Carey came out on top at Fairmont St Andrews after he finished ahead of the field on a seven-under-par total of 137. The Dubliner, who visited the Old Course yesterday to take in the surroundings, was inspired to post a bogey-free 69 followed by a 68 which included an eagle and two birdies to clinch a berth in the field for The Open in July when he will make his debut.

Richard Dinwiddie will return to compete in The Open for the first time since Royal Birkdale in 2017. The three-time Challenge Tour winner finished four shots adrift of Carey on a three-under-par total but secured the second qualifying place at the Fife venue.

Holland’s Lars Van Meijel and Alex Wrigley emerged from a three-way play-off against Aaron Rai as the trio competed for the two remaining places after finishing locked together on two-under-par. Two pars were enough against Rai’s bogey 5 as the pair held their nerve to edge out the two-time winner on the DP World Tour and claim the two remaining qualifying places.