Davis: Top-five finishes in his last three starts
Brian Davis has defended his decision to skip an Open qualifier to play in the pro-am of the Colonial tournament.
The 34-year-old Briton, who finished runner-up to South Africa's Rory Sabbatini at the Byron Nelson Championship, is a notable absentee from the qualifying competition in the Dallas area on Monday.
Currently 17th on the PGA Tour money list, though, Davis is still hopeful of playing his way into Turnberry via a couple of eligibility categories that run right up to the week before The Open, starting on July 16.
Davis has also said he was honouring his commitment made two months ago when he grabbed the offer of a spot provided he played in a Monday pro-am, as he felt his chances of getting through the qualifier would be slim.
"I made that commitment and I'm sticking by that commitment," he said. "They were nice enough to offer me the invite so I'll be at Colonial.
"I'm not putting it ahead of The Open. It's a 36-hole qualifier with limited spots and lots of guys. At the end of the day, the chances of qualifying are very slim anyway.
"Now, obviously I'm playing well, so I would have a good chance but I've been in the doldrums the last couple of years and as much as I want to play in The Open, I need to play tournaments and get momentum and confidence.
"I can still make it, though, and I'd love to play in The Open."
