British Open qualifying comes to Australia
BY iseekgolf.com | Australasian PGA Tour | 2004 British Open International Final Qualifying | Preview | 19 Jan 2004
The second of five International Final Qualifying events for The Open Championship will be played at Kingston Heath, Melbourne, Australia, on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 20-21. The leading four players at the end of 36 holes will gain a place in the 156-man field for the 133rd Open to be played at Royal Troon in July.
Built in 1925 to replace the original course which was swallowed by the expansion of Melbourne, Kingston Heath is on the same sandy stretch of land as Royal Melbourne. At 6,352 metres the course has a par of 72 and features only three par-three and three par-five holes. It has many times played host to the Australian Open.
Nick O’Hern has made a late withdrawal from the field at Kingston Heath through injury.
The first International Final Qualifying event was completed in South Africa. The remaining three, after Australasia, will be in Asia, at the Saujana Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 30-31, in America at Congressional on June 28 and in Europe at Sunningdale, also on June 28.
The events give a greater number of players the opportunity of taking part in the world’s oldest golf championship and increase the international quality of the field.
Source – The Open
