Scot Marc Warren has returned home and set to now join a field of 18 Scots teeing-up in Tuesday’s Open Championship Final Qualifier at the Fairmont Resort near St. Andrews.
Warren, 38 was cut from the weekend rounds of the Andalucia Masters with scores of 75 and 72 for a five-over par tally on the famed Valderrama course on Spain’s Costa Del Sol.
Though there was little sunshine for the three-time Tour winning Warren who managed just five birdies but also four bogeys and three double-bogeys over his two rounds.
Warren regained his full Tour card at the end of last year but in a dozen new season events the Glaswegian has made the cut in just four events and, in fact, he has sat out the weekend rounds now in the last five events.
He last contested The Open in 2016 and is going to need a marked turnaround in form to grab one of three Royal Portrush tee times on offer over the two Fairmont Resort courses.
Other Scots teeing-up in Fife on Tuesday include fellow Tour pro, Connor Syme along with past Tour star, Craig Lee and reigning Scottish Men’s Amateur champ, Euan McIntosh.
Scott Jamieson kept alive his goal of securing a Royal Portrush tee time late tomorrow (SUN) night with scores of 68 and 71 to be sharing sixth place at three under par in Spain.
Jamieson went into the round at three-under but had surrendered his advantage with three outward bogeys before regrouping to birdie his 14th, 16th and 17th holes.
At present, there is only four of five players ahead of the Scot who are eligible for the three Royal Portrush tee times.
One of those is South African Christiaan Bezuidnhout who opened-up a four-shot lead moving to eight-under par thanks to a second day 71, and less than a week after finishing third in the BMW International Open in Munich.
Tournament host, Sergio Garcia posted a 72 to be at four-under par as he seeks to win the event for a third straight year.
He said: “It was very difficult this afternoon with the greens very firm while it was also quite windy, and really I just didn’t make any putts.
“I still like I played really under the conditions and what I shot was the most I could have had today.”
Other Scots to make the two-over par cut was David Law (70, 72) at level par and Grant Forest (72, 72) who was right on the mark.
