Waterville’s David Higgins was left ruing a bizarre mistake in a British Open Local Final qualifier at the North Berwick club after missing out in a play-off as he was carrying 15 clubs.
Higgins had ended his two qualifying rounds with scores of 70 and 67 for a five under par tally.
It had the Irish golfer trailing one shot behind leading qualifier and England amateur, Jimmy Mullen who signed for a pair of 68s and just two days after finishing fifth the prestigious Brabazon Trophy.
Higgins found himself tied second with the Scottish pair of Gareth Wright and George Murray that meant a play-off between three players for just two spots into the July 18th commencing British Open at nearby Muirfield.
However in between ending his second qualifying round and teeing-up in the play-off Higgins had inadvertently put an extra club in his bag, a rescue club.
David Higgins sees his Open Championship dreams end with 15 clubs in his bag. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
While Higgins, who used a local Scottish caddy, would not discuss the blunder it appears he believed he would not qualify so started packing his bag, and it wasn’t till he got down to the green at the first extra hole he noticed the distinctive head cover of the offending 15th club.
Wright had birdied the hole and with Murray managing a par.
Higgins, who has contested just two British Open’s since first attempting to qualify in 1995, called over an R and A rules official but had no other option to call a two stroke penalty on himself.
It meant ‘gifting’ a place into golf’s oldest major to Murray and with Higgins leaving the course and offering not to comment.
And fellow Irishman and Glasson’s Colm Moriarty let slip the opportunity to compete at Muirfield when he added a second round 69 to a first round course record equalling 65 and miss out by shot from qualifying at Dunbar.
The Island club’s Gavin Moynihan was also two shots from qualifying at The Musselburgh club in posting scores of 71 and 68 with the leading mark at the course being nine under par and set by England’s Steven Wiley.
And despite a big crowd following, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie also missed out on a first British Open in three years after travelling some 3,500 miles from Pittsburgh to tee up at Gullane No. 1
Monty was tied second after the opening round with a 69 but then got caught up in the snail-like pace of play to shoot a disappointing 76 in the wet and miserable conditions to finish tied 13th.
