Europe’s immedate Ryder Cup past captain, Jose Maria Olazabal and next year’s European Team leader, Paul McGinley head the field of 96 players teeing up next Monday at the Sunningdale club and looking to qualify for next month’s Open Championship at Muirfield.
It has been seven years since Olazabal last competed in an Open Championship when he was placed 56th behind Tiger Woods in 2006 at Hoylake.
Jose Maria Olazabal competing in Munich this week and headed to Monday’s British Open qualifer at Sunningdale. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
And joining Olazabal, who was successful in qualifying at Walton Heath for last week’s US Open, will be McGinley and the 2014 European Team captain.
McGinley, who was recently afforded an invitation to contest August’s PGA Championship, also has not competed in the (British) Open since 2009.
Joining McGinley and Olazabal will be four other Ryder Cup stars in Paul Casey, David Howell, Thomas Levt and Ross Fisher.
There is a further three Irish in Gareth Maybin, Peter Lawrie and Michael Hoey, as well as eight Scots including reigning Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion, Stephen Gallacher.
The top-dozen qualifiers will win through to the July 18th commencing Open.
However electing not to tee up at Sunningdale next Monday is Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie who will be winging his way to the States and his seniors career debut in the Senior Players Championship at the Fox Angel Golf Club in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Instead, Montgomerie has entered a 36-hole Local Final Qualifying for the British Open being staged on Tuesday July 2nd at four courses in and around the Muirfield region to the east of Edinburgh.
“I’m going to have to miss Monday’s qualifier as I’m making my seniors debut and that’s going to be exciting but then as I am flying to the States the same day,” said Montgomerie after signing for a 71 on the first day of the 25th anniversary BMW International Open.
“Instead, I have entered Local Final Qualifying which is up around North Berwick, Gullane and Musselburgh and try and get into The Open that way.”
The eight-time former European No. 1 turns 50 this Sunday and while he will also contest the July 25th starting Senior British Open at Royal Birkdale, the Scot indicated he will continue to play events on the main European Tour.
“Even though I’ll be playing seniors tour you won’t lose me on the main European Tour as I will also play the Turkish Open at the end of the year and a few other events,” he said.
And reigning British Open champion, Ernie Els revealed he will play a practice round at Muirfield next Tuesday ahead of his defence of the championship.
It will be the first of a handful of trips to Muirfield in coming weeks for the South African who will be looking to become the first player in 107 years since the legendary James Braid to successfully defend a Muirfield British Open.
Braid captured the first of five British Opens at Muirfield in 1901 and then won a third championship when the event was next staged at Muirfield in 1906.
Els defeated three other players in a play-off in 2002 to win his first British Open when Muirfield last hosted golf’s oldest Major.
“My good friend, Mr Rupert and I are going up next Tuesday to Muirfield to check it out,” said Els after shooting a nine under par 63 on the opening day of the event in Munich.
“So I’ll go up every week for the next three weeks and get going with my preparations.”
