Campbell in bid to secure Open berth

Published on 03/07/2012 00:00

Seven years after winning the US Open, Michael Campbell faces a very different task today as 288 players battle for a mere 12 places in the coming Open Championship.

With his world ranking having crashed to 910th, the New Zealander could not even get into the field for last week’s international qualifier at Sunningdale. Instead, he is at the West Lancashire course near Liverpool competing in the 36-hole final qualifying event before then travelling on to Paris for the French Open starting on Thursday.

Southport and Ainsdale, Hillside and St Annes Old Links are also venues, with 72 golfers at each looking for one of three spots. Bristol’s Chris Wood, fifth at Birkdale in 2008 as an amateur and then third at Turnberry a year later, has chosen this route to try to make it to Royal Lytham and he plays at St Annes, as do former Ryder Cup trio Barry Lane, Jarmo Sandelin and Paul Broadhurst – still joint holder of a major record with the 63 he shot at St Andrews back in 1990.

Scottish hopefuls include Lloyd Saltman, the leading amateu at St Andrews in 2005, European Tour player Steven O’Hara, 2011 Walker Cup winners James Byrne and Michael Stewart as well as Paul Ferrier, who reached the semi-finals of the Amateur Championship a fortnight ago.