Scotland’s Marc Warren is four events away from qualifying for the four Majors in 2015.
Warren is already guaranteed a start in one Major in the New Year and that’s the PGA Championship while at No. 68 he’s just eight World Ranking spots shy in qualifying for the 2015 U.S. Open.
However Warren is most keen by year’s end to lock-in being exempt into next year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews.
The Scot continues on this task in this week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai and yesterday kick-starting his Final Four Series campaign with a two under par 70 during the course of intermittent rain on the Lake Malaren course.
Warren arrived in China’s financial capital lying 20th on the Race to Dubai money list and already 13 spots higher than last year’s career best of 33rd.
And with the Scot eligible to also contest the three remaining Final Four Series events, Warren could very well end his ninth full Tour season inside the top-15.
Marc Warren spotted here at the Crail Golfing Society is four events away from qualifying for the four Majors in 2015. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
If so, that would ensure automatic entry into the 144th Open Championship while a top-50 World Ranking by year’s end would earn Warren the most sought after letter in golf – an invitation to his first Masters.
“You play well all year to get yourself into the Final Four Series and while it’s already been a great season I still have a lot of big goals to kick,” he said.
“I’m in a great position at 20th on the Race to Dubai and if can have at least two or three good weeks out of these four then I could move up and open those Major Championship doors like qualify automatically for The Open which is my big goal.
“So they’re four big weeks and while you want to play well each and every week, there is just so much at stake career-wise over this month.”
Warren is back to competition after a week’s break in finishing mid-field in the rain shortened Portugal Masters.
“I only touched a club once in the week off as I wanted to remain fresh as I can for these four weeks in which I will be playing a lot of golf, so it was a case more of resting up,” he added.
Joining Warren in Shanghai is fellow Scot Richie Ramsay and revealing he still awaits his year’s supply of German beer as his reward for a hole-in-one during last month’s European Masters in Switzerland.
“I don’t know how much a year’s supply of beer is, so I will need to chase that up once the season ends,” he smiled.
Ramsay was tied with Warren in also posting a first round 70 that was highlighted with back-to-back birdies at his 16th and 17th holes where he ‘stiffed’ a 5-iron to just a foot at the penultimate hole.
“I’m eligible to play three of these four events with the exception of next week’s WGC – HSBC Champions event,” he said.
“So there is still a lot to play for and at 38th on the Race to Dubai it would first be nice to better my best of 26th in 2012, and maybe in an ideal world it would be nice to finish top-15 that would be really nice.”
