Scotland’s Russell Knox was one of seven players to win a place at this month’s Open Championship at Carnoustie after the weekend’s action on the European Tour and the PGA Tour.
The US-based Knox finished tied second behind Alex Noren at the French Open at Paris National to earn a return ticket to his native country, where he will be joined by American Julian Suri and Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, who finished on the same score in Paris to book their places at Carnoustie. Knox made his surge through the field on Sunday with a superb six-under 65 to tie with Suri and Chris Wood.
Knox, who grew up on the links of Nairn Dunbar, will be making his fourth consecutive appearance in the Open. He said: “One of the main goals of coming over to play in Paris was to try and play my way into The Open. I’m thrilled. Obviously, being a Scot, I didn’t want to miss an Open Championship in Scotland, so job done.”
He added: “To be honest, I’ve only played Carnoustie a couple of times, and that was a long time ago. I don’t know much about it other than it is extremely difficult. I have watched previous Open Championships there, and know the history, and I can’t wait to hopefully make some of my own. It’s going to be fun. I love links golf. Nairn Dunbar, my home club when I was growing up in Scotland, is a classic links course. I see that style of game, playing the ball along the ground, a lot more than most guys that are based in the US. I’m playing well and coming into form. I just need that big push in the summer to move up.”
The HNA Open de France was the sixth event in The Open Qualifying Series, which gives leading three non-exempt players who finish in the top ten and ties the chance to earn place at The Open, which begins on July 21. Meanwhile, over at the Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, Ryan Armour, Sung Kang, Abraham Ancer and Bronson Burgoon all booked their places in the starting field of the 147thOpen.
The tournament was won in fine style by Italy’s Francesco Molinari, who shot a final round 62 to win by eight shots for his first PGA Tour title, but with the Ryder Cup star already exempt for The Open, it was second placed Armour who took the first spot in The Open. The 42-year-old will now make his major debut at Carnoustie in two weeks.
For the second year running Sung Kang secured his place at The Open at the Quicken Loans National. The Korean climbed 13 places up the leaderboard on Sunday take the second qualifying spot. Ancer and Burgoon, like Armour, will also play in a major for the first time after they obtained the third and fourth qualifying places. Ancer, who was co-leading the championship at the start of the day’s play, failed to find the form he produced on Saturday, and the 27-year-old Mexican signed for a two-over-par 72 to finish in a tie for fourth place with Tiger Woods, who is already exempt as a former champion.
Burgeon won his spot with a birdie at the last to finish tied for sixth alongside Beau Hossler. With Hossler already exempt through his world ranking, the qualifying spot fell to Burgoon. But the 31-year-old American faced an anxious period when Andrew Landry, possessing a higher world ranking, stood over a 12-foot putt to join Burgoon and Hossler on ten-under-par. To Burgoon’s advantage, Landry missed and the world number 408 is now set for his first taste of links golf when he takes on Carnoustie for the chance to win golf’s oldest major in a fortnight’s time.