England’s Joe Dean claimed success in the inaugural Last-Chance Qualifier to secure the final place in the field for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.
The winner-takes-all qualifier, a new enhancement introduced for The 154th Open, saw 12 players chase their dream of playing in The Open by competing over 18 holes of the iconic Southport links.
The 32-year-old held his nerve for a one-shot victory in the warm and breezy conditions to seal the final spot in the 156-player field.
Designed to generate drama and excitement for fans, Dean carded a two-under-par 68 to triumph and earn a third appearance in the Championship – after previously playing all four rounds at Royal Birkdale in 2017 and Royal Troon in 2024.
Dean also tied first in Final Qualifying at Notts Hollinwell to secure his place in the Championship in 2017.
The Sheffield-born player highlighted his round with an eagle at the par-5 14th alongside two birdies and two bogeys. Dean’s three closing pars proved crucial as he finished a stroke ahead of fellow Englishman Andrew Wilson. South African Aldrich Potgieter was third after his level-par 70.
Dean, who tied-25th at The Open in 2024, said, “It was great today. Any opportunity to get in The Open again, I’ll glady turn up and play.
“One-day events, I seem to play better. I don’t quite know why, the mentality of trying to keep the same throughout any round. I don’t know if I got used to it a bit more and it was sort of just a one-round shoot-out.
“To see the amount of people out here today, it’s been great. I think it has drawn a lot more people.”
On his eagle, he added, “I just hit a really good drive down the middle, had 250 to the flag straight down wind and just probably hit the best 6-iron I’ve ever hit.”
The Last-Chance Qualifier was introduced after a survey of fans carried out by The R&A to research views and beliefs held about The Open revealed they would like more opportunities to watch live golf, celebrate the Championship’s unique traditions and enjoy activities which allow them to further engage with the sport onsite.
The first two reserves for The 154th Open are:
- Aldrich Potgieter
- Matti Schmid
Please visit TheOpen.com for final scoring from the Last-Chance Qualifier.
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