Forty four seek Open Championship start
BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2010 British Open International Final Qualifying | Preview | 13 Jan 2010
Australasia’s leg of International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for this year’s Open Championship gets underway this Thursday at Kingston Heath in Melbourne when 44 players tee it up in an attempt to secure one of the 3 places available for the third major of the year beginning on July 15th.
International Qualifying was introduced by the R&A in recent years to provide an opportunity for players to earn a place in the field for the Open Championship without the cost of travelling to Britain to attempt Regional and Local qualifying there.
This week’s event is one of five IFQ venues to hold such qualifying over the next five months. South Africa Asia, America, and Europe will all be going through similar exercises between now and May and players can take part at only one venue.
While some would argue the relative merits of qualifying for an event 6 months ahead of time, that so many of the Australasian Tour’s players are in the region at present provides the perfect opportunity to stage the event.
Peter Senior and Craig Parry are perhaps the most recognised names in the field although many in form players from recent Australasian Tour events including last week’s Victorian Open winner, Jason Norris, New Zealander Josh Geary, who finished 4th on the Australasian Tour’s Order of Merit in 2009 and who played the 2009 Open Championship, and a host of other well credentialed players will line up.
The event is played over 36 holes.
