Scotland’s Calum Hill still has two chances of earning a maiden Open Championshaip tee-time despite the bitter disappointment missing out by just one stroke at the close of the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry.
It was a long anxious wait for Hill after brilliantly eagling the short par-four 10th but then dropping a shot at the last to end his round of 69 to be then sharing third place at seven-under-par with fellow Scot Ewen Ferguson and Justin Rose.
Still on the course was England’s Oliver Wilson, winner nine years ago of the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and this coming week’s Made In Himmerland.
With the top-3 non-exempt Belfry finishers to earn an automatic 151st Open Championship tee-time, Wilson birdied the 15th hole to join Hill at seven-under and with Kiwi Daniel Hillier (66) leading at 10-under and booking his Royal Liverpool tee-time.
Thanks to this @CalumHill_golf eagle, 100 trees will be planted and £1,000 is donated to @ProstateUK by @Betfred 🙌#BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/3gX9rm0flI
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 2, 2023
Hill watched anxiously as Wilson pared the 16th and just missed a 13-footer for birdie at 17 ahead of the Englishman holing a brilliant 11-footer at the last, for his third birdie at 18 in four days, and deny Hill by a shot who would have earned The Open tee-time, had both finished level, by virtue of a higher World Ranking.
The effort sent Wilson into second place and tied with American Gunner Wiebe (66), for both players to secure Open Championship starts.
Gunner, 37, is the son of former PGA Tour double winning member Mark Wiebe, who contested the 1997, 2001 and 2014 Open but missing the cut on each occasion.
Hill’s efforts, and despite his disappointment, is his second top-10 of the season and has seen him jump 21 spots to 39th on the Race to Dubai.
He said: “I didn’t hit it absolutely perfectly off the tee, but I still played great. I hit it really good on the back nine. My heart got going and I managed it really well.
“Played the correct shot at the last, just didn’t execute it well.
“The good thing is that my game is back going in the right direction, as there are some great events coming-up these next two weeks, including this week’s Denmark event and then the Scottish.
“Hopefully, there may be an Open tee-time for me in there. It’s just nice to be picking-up some good form at this big events time of the year”.
Indeed, there will be a further three spots into The Open at this coming week’s Made In Denmark and the next week’s Genesis Scottish Open.
Bearsden’s Ewen Ferguson grabbed seven birdies in a closing 69 to secure a fourth top-10 in his 15 starts this year.
Aberdonian David Law (70) finished just inside the top-20 at four-under while Oban’s Robert MacIntyre disappointed, signing for a bogey-littered closing 76 and a distant share of 39th.
