Race to make The Open: 10 players to watch in Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links

One of the longest days in golf is almost upon us as a total of 288 players battle it out at four venues for a minimum of 16 spots in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon.

Final Qualifying for the Claret Jug event is being held on Tuesday, when the golfing spotlight will turn on Burnham & Berrow, Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports and West Lancashire.

All four venues are playing host to some of the game’s most-recognisable names, with former US Open and Olympic champion Justin Rose set to be among the hopefuls at Burnham & Berrow in Somerset while 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia is teeing up at West Lancashire.

Dubai-based Scot Ewen Ferguson made his major debut in last year's Open at Hoylake and will now be determined to be playing at the venue closest to his family home in Bearsden. Picture: Getty Images

Heading into Tuesday’s 36-hole shootouts, Bob MacIntyre is the only Scot already gearing up for the season’s final major after earning his exemption through finishing in the top 30 in last year’s Race to Dubai on the DP World Tour.

Paul Lawrie, the 1999 champion, is also still exempt, but the 55-year-old has decided to sit out the event ahead of his return to Carnoustie the following week for The Senior Open presented by Rolex.

The majority of Scottish hopefuls in Final Qualifying are heading to Dundonald Links and here are ten players - not just those flying the Saltire - to keep an eye on at the Ayrshire venue.

Rafa Cabrera Bello

English amateur Kris Kim pictured making the cut on the PGA Tour in THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, in May. Picture: Tim Heitman/Getty Images.

The Spaniard has happy memories at Dundonald Links, where he produced a wonder shot at the par-5 18th to win a play-off for the 2017 Scottish Open after closing with a brilliant bogey-free eight-under-par 64 and will now be looking for more of the same.

Ewen Ferguson

The two-time DP World Tour winner made his major debut in last year’s Open through finishing in the top 30 in the Race to Dubai the previous season and will now be determined to relive that experience at the venue closest to his family home in Bearsden.

Grant Forrest

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin, one of the DP World Tour's rising stars, qualified for the US Open earlier in the year and is now aiming to do likewise for The Open. Picture: Andrew Redington/Getty Images.

The 2021 Hero Open winner, who played as an amateur at Muirfield in 2013 before qualifying again as a professional at Carnoustie five years later, will be bidding to emulate his feat in coming through a similar qualifier for this year’s US Open.

Connor Graham

The Blairgowrie teenager, who created history last year as the youngster-ever player to compete in the Walker Cup, is aiming to be teeing up in the main event this time around just two years after winning The R&A Junior Open at Monifieth Links.

Kris Kim

The English amateur made the cut aged just 16 on his PGA Tour debut in The CJ Cup Byron Nelson earlier this year in Texas. A member of Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup-winning team in Rome last year, he’s also playing in the British Masters at The Belfry later in the year.

Tom McKibbin

The 21-year-old, who recorded his breakthrough DP World Tour win in last year’s European Open in Germany, hails from Holywood, Rory McIlroy’s home club, and, as was the case in the US Open, can probably be guaranteed a practice round in his company if he makes it through.

Patrick Rodgers

Now a PGA Tour player, the American won 11 times, tying the record set by Tiger Woods, when he was at Stanford University and also spent 16 weeks as No 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He’s made the cut in five US Opens but has never played in The Open.

Robert Rock

Though the Englishman is no longer playing on the DP World Tour, where he won twice and made more than 460 appearances, he qualified for this year’s US Open and is now bidding to secure his first outing in The Open since 2019, having also played at Troon three years earlier.

Calum Scott

The Nairn man is Scotland’s top-ranked amateur, having enjoyed another strong season on the US college circuit playing for Texas Tech and then finishing second in the St Andrews Links Trophy in his first summer outing back on home soil.

Peter Uihlein

The American, who is among a posse of LIV Golf players bidding to come through the two-round test across the four venues, was a world amateur No 1 as he came through the ranks before being crowned as the DP World Tour Rookie of the Year in 2013.