The Australian duo Chris Gaunt and Neven Basic are just a round away from competing in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

Gaunt and Neven posted three under par 69s to share the lead on day one of the two-day International Open Championship qualifier at the Kingston Heath course in Melbourne.

Just 45 players teed up in bright but extremely windy conditions to upstage some of the more fancied players including Australian legends Craig Parry, Peter Senior and Peter Lonard.

“It was blowing a gale out there, the holes coming home on the back nine were quite windy so it’s pretty tough,” said Gaunt.
 
Gaunt recorded a round that included five birdies, including three in succession, along with two bogeys in his score.
 
“I putted very solid today I probably could have made a few more but I could have missed a few more as well.”
 
Both Gaunt and Basic are yet to play in The Open with Basic hoping to make it third time lucky.
  
“This is my third go at IFQ as I missed by one about four years ago which hurt,” said Basic.
 
Basic, who recorded six birdies and half as many bogeys, will be hoping to keep his form from today heading into the final round so that he can play his first Major.
                                                               
“It would be awesome to play in a Major, it’s something that you have watched on television since you are 10 or 12 years of age so to actual get to play would be fantastic,” he added.
 
“To play in such a historic place with the best players in the world would be fantastic.”
 
One shot further back on two under par is eight players including in-form Kurt Barnes who was runner-up in last week’s Victoria Open.

Barnes, who dresses in John Daly’ ‘Loud Mouth’ attire, has twice before qualified for The Open including last year.

Barnes was five under par with three holes to play but came unstuck with double bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes.

He then birdied the last to be tied with seven others including Heath Reed, Nicholas Cullen, Aaron Townsend, Alistair Presnell, Joshua Younger, David Bransdon and David McKenzie.
 
Senior posted a level par 72 while Lonard signed for a 73 and Parry a two-over par 74.