Trio in with a shot of making The Open

Jacob McGoldrick and Robert Burlison, both of Enville Golf Club, and Henry Sheridan-Mills, of Walsall Golf Club, all moved through from the regional qualifying round, and will now compete in the final qualifying round for a spot at the illustrious event, at Royal Birkdale, in Southport from July 20-23.

The trio beat off the challenge of around 1,200 rivals, made up of hopefuls from 13 different regional events. McGoldrick , who finished second in the qualifier at Little Aston GC with a three-under par score of 69. Burlison and Sheridan-Mills came in tied for fourth on one under.

McGoldrick is relishing the opportunity, and feels that the chance to showcase his talent against some of the best players in the world can only help him. “It will be a great experience,”, he said. “It gives me lots of confidence knowing I can get there and hopefully take my game to the next level. It’s a step closer to being a tour pro, and it will be good for myself to see how far off their games I am and what I need to do to get there.”

The amateur is also positive about the task in hand, and is determined to ensure that his display is a fair reflection of his ability – but is not one to be affected by the size of the event.

He added: “I don’t get nervous. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so it would be nice to play my two best rounds of golf. I’m excited, I want to play well, and I’m going to go to try my best.”