Harry Ellis seals coveted place at Open with Amateur Championship victory at Royal St George's
Last Updated: 25/06/17 10:46pm
Harry Ellis secured a place at next month's Open after winning the 122nd Amateur Championship in dramatic fashion at Royal St George's, beating Australian Dylan Perry in a sudden death play-off.
The 21-year-old was seemingly headed for defeat after trailing Perry by four with only five of the 36 holes remaining.
However, a bogey six on the 32nd hole by Perry was followed by further dropped shots by the Australian on the 34th, 35th and 36th as Ellis recovered to all-square to send the match to sudden death.
The pair halved the first extra hole but a double-bogey six from Perry on the second proved decisive, with Ellis claiming victory thanks to another par - his seventh in succession.
Ellis, who at 16 became the youngest winner of the English Amateur Championship in 2012, has now earned a spot at the 146th Open at Royal Birkdale as well as next year's Masters and US Open.
"It's unbelievable, I can't believe what I have just done but you should never give up and never give in," said Ellis afterwards. "I just kept giving myself chances down the stretch and luckily played much better than I had all day and somehow it was good enough that we had to go to the 38th hole.
"I didn't think I was ever done but I knew the task was getting tougher and tougher, especially after I missed the par on the 13th to go four down with five to play. I cannot believe what happened down the stretch!
"It (The Open) is very soon. Obviously, it's on another links course at Royal Birkdale so we will see how we go. I just want to soak up the experience there and get as much from it as I possibly can. It has always been a dream to play in majors and I get to play in three now."
Sky Sports' coverage of the Open will begin from Monday, July 17, with Henrik Stenson defending the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale in Southport.
