Nine players have clinched a place in final qualifying for this year’s Open Championship following the regional round at Rochester & Cobham Park.
A handful of Kent-based players are now one step away from making it through to the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, which takes place between July 13-20.
Max Jordan (The Wisley) won Monday’s regional Open qualifier at Rochester & Cobham Park. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Rochester & Cobham Park was one of the 15 regional qualifying venues, and those winning through will now play again on Tuesday, July 1 in the final qualifiers, which will be played across four courses, including Deal’s Royal Cinque Ports.
Amateur player Oliver Lewis-Perkins (Mid-Kent) and Chart Hills Golf Club general manager Ant Tarchetti have made it through after both shooting a two-under 69 at Rochester & Cobham on Monday.
Seven players were involved in a play-off for four places after all finishing one-under 70.
Qualifying from the play-off were Rochester & Cobham pair Jack Lee – who made final qualifying last year – and Carl Burrows, along with Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club’s head professional Sam Smitherman and Spaniard Raul Gomez, representing the Benidorm club.
Mid-Kent’s Oliver Lewis-Perkins qualified with a round of 69. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Ant Tarchetti (Chart Hills) is through to the final qualifying event. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Luke Jenkins (Rochester & Cobham) missed out in the play-off, as did along with Faversham Golf Club’s Daniel Smith.
Max Jordan – membership manager at The Wisley Golf Club in Woking – led the field at Rochester & Cobham with a three-under score of 68.
Jordan finished one shot ahead of his club-mate Jonathan Exon-Taylor. Finn Lord (Sunningdale) also shot a two-under par 69 to qualify from the Kent venue.
Rochester & Cobham’s Jordan Godwin missed out on a place in final qualifying. Picture: Barry Goodwin
William Gibb (The Nevill) missed out on qualifying with 72. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Jimmy Bullard made a slow start in qualifying, with two double bogeys on the front nine, before recovering well for a respectable round score of 74. Picture: Barry Goodwin
There were plenty of home players just missing out with Lucas Dennison, Ben Quinney and R&C’s long-serving head professional Warren Wood all carding a score of 71. James Cooper (Stonelees) also finished even par.
North Foreland’s amateur Danny O’Reilly hit a one-over 72, as did William Gibb and Zak Robinson (both The Nevill) along with Bearsted’s Matt Ford – a winner of the 2022 Open final qualifying at Prince’s.
Rochester & Cobham’s head professional Warren Wood (71) in familiar surroundings. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Danny O’Reilly (North Foreland) was tied 23rd with a round of 72. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Gravesend Golf Centre’s Connor Heffernan shot a five-over 76 in qualifying. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Rochester & Cobham’s Miles Richardson scored 82. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Daniel Smith (Faversham) lost out in a play-off and holds a reserve spot for final qualifying. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Jamie Stace, flying the flag for Littlestone, shot 81. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Lewis Beeden of Dartford scored 76 – good enough for joint 65th place on Monday. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Tom Corden of North Foreland shot 81. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Sene Valley’s Jack Holland scored 82 on Monday for joint 108th place. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Luke Jenkins is 15th reserve after his round of 70 sealed joint sixth place at his home course. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Jordan Godwin was two-over on the day at his home course along with Knole Park’s Alexander Dunmall and William Partner (Sene Valley).
Former Premier League footballer Jimmy Bullard shot a three-over 74 as did George Edwards (Prince’s), Callum Piper (North Foreland) and Scott Antoun (Wildernesse).
Peter Goddard of Chart Hills tied 92nd at Rochester & Cobham. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Sundridge Park’s Danny Akers was 13 over par. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Chart Hills’ Nick Olson on his way to a round of 75. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Matt Gibson of Royal Blackheath was six over par at the end of his round. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Three Kent golfers secured reserve spots for final qualifying elsewhere. Chart Hills’ Francis McGuirk is 42nd reserve following his 75 at Hesketh in Southport and the London Club’s Daniel Roberts and Jamie Roberts are 50th and 80th reserve respectively after rounds of 70 and 71 at Ferndown in Bournemouth.
