Matt Cooper reports from a dramatic day on the North-west coast where 12 players booked their Open spots.
Matt Cooper reports from a dramatic day on the north west where 12 players booked their places in The Open
It was the final chance for 12 golfers to book their ticket to the Open Championship. At four venues on the North-west coast 288 golfers fought for those golden tickets.
They were comprised of amateurs, club pros, minor tour pros, veterans and the odd European Tour player too.
At the most northern venue - St Annes Old Links - Paul Broadhurst, Barry Lane and Rafa Echenique claimed their spots (check this
photo gallery whilst at the most southern - West Lancs - Steve Alker, Steven O'Hara and Scott Pinckney qualified.
In between there was drama of two kinds, as Matt Cooper witnessed.
Hillside - hanging round the leaderboard
The leaderboard at Hillside was between the 18th green and first tee so at some point during a long day every golfer passed it midway through one round.
Many pretended otherwise, but most of them cast a furtive glance in its direction and come the end of the day it would witness greater drama than the course itself.
Out early, England's Dale Whitnell posted a 36 hole total of nine-under par which always looked good enough and indeed was, but four other men were to have very different stories.
Switzerland's Raphael De Sousa shot an afternoon 67 which propelled him into second place despite a morning round of 74. "I'm sure it's not good enough," he smiled before continuing to hang around just in case.
The first man to pass him was the young Scottish amateur Paul Shields. He too followed a poor morning round (73) with a stunning afternoon one (66 including a double bogey on the first) and, with only four groups left on the course, he was apparently comfortable in second place.
In fact the 21-year-old was in the process of completing biographical information for the Open Championship guide when the leaderboard changed. Disastrously, not only Warren Bennett, but Steven Tiley too, had bettered his score.
He took the news with amazing good humour. Sat at the top of a small hill he watched the three "winners" receive the plaudits of the crowd, occasionally removing his cap and holding it over his face before laughing ruefully at what had happened. You sensed that the enormity of what had been snatched from his grasp hadn't really sunk in yet.
For Bennett the story was completely different. He was the leading amateur at the 1994 Open Championship but retired from competing three years ago, frustrated by his thwarted progress.
"I've been through some tough times," he admitted when his Open place was confirmed. "This is just a start to my recovery, but it has helped slay a few demons.
"I began working with Matt Belsham three months ago and we're working on some new ideas. I vowed that if I returned I would do things differently and not repeat the same mistakes.
"It feels really good. This was my first crack at competition so I'm obviously very pleased."
There you had the story of qualification in microcosm - elation for Bennett and agony for Shields, both of them stood just yards apart.
Southport & Ainsdale - play-off in the dark
The drama continued over the railway line at S&A where, after Denmark's Morten Orum Madsen claimed the top spot, three men found themselves tied for second.
For Scotland's Chris Doak it was doubly frustrating - he finished his round early so had to wait around like a cat on a hot tin roof, all the time rueing a potentially costly double bogey-bogey finish.
For local lad Ian Keenan the story was more positive. A long time dreamer on the minor tours, he was suddenly on the brink of something special, thriving on the opportunity and bolstered by the support of just about everyone in the gallery (I was also inundated by messages of support for him on Twitter!).
They would be up against Elliot Saltman.
Like the first hole at Royal Lytham, the first at S&A is a par three and Keenan was first to hit. Apparently oblivious to the tension he hit a magnificent shot to about 10 feet, an effort that prompted the galleries to roar their approval.
Doak's tee shot found gnarly rough and he could do no better than bogey. Saltman, who had found the back edge with his tee shot, putted close to guarantee his par which left the local hero the simple task of two-putting from ten feet.
Relatively simple.
Keenan nudged the ball to within six inches of the hole and suddenly seemed all too aware of the significance of the moment. He marked the ball, wiped it clean and then finally (and very, very carefully) he rolled the ball into the cup.
After acknowledging his playing partners and the referee, Keenan turned to the front of the green where his son Archie was racing towards him. He jumped up into his father's arms, beaming proudly and asked, "How did you do it, dad?"
"I'm not sure, son," said Keenan, "but we're going to the Open - you can meet Rory McIlroy!"
At which point someone in the gallery approached. "I'm proper made up for you, Keeno," he said, shaking Keenan's hand. "Honest, mate, enjoy every second of it, you deserve it."
Someone else stepped forward to do the same. And then another. And another. It took almost as long to walk back up that first hole as it took the three men to play it.
Meanwhile Keenan tried to explain the significance of the moment.
"It's cost me a lot, this game," he said. "It's almost broke me. Financially it's almost ruined me. It's been tough on my family too, I know that, but I hope, and think, they'll be proud today, despite that.
"I owe Royal Liverpool Golf Club so much as well. They've stuck by me for 19 years. There have been times when I thought they wouldn't but they always did. It's been amazing.
"And today it worked out. I didn't putt that well, but my iron play was superb. I took bogey out the question, that was the secret."
With that it was time to leave him to the well-wishers. A fortnight of excitement lies ahead, concluding with a golden opportunity on a course he knows well.
"You're going to the Open, Keeno," shouted someone and he smiled. He understood but, like Shields, the news hadn't really sunk in yet. The difference is that when it does, Ian Keenan's smile will just get wider.
