Carnoustie Golf Links’ PGA Senior Assistant Professional Keir McNicoll has progressed to Final Qualifying for The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale after carding a two-under 68 to top the leaderboard in Regional Qualifying at Panmure Golf Club.
Fellow Carnoustie Golf Club member and Ben Hogan Trophy winner Will Porter was tied for the lead with Keir on -2.
One shot back at -1 was Paul Shields of the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and Spaniard Francisco Pintor while another Spaniard, Daniel Alonso narrowly missed out but has a 10th reserve place.
Keir’s round didn’t get off to the best of starts as he bogeyed the 4th but bounced straight back with a birdie at the par 3 5th hole.
Bogeys either side of a birdie on the 8th left the former St Andrews Links Trophy winner +1 after the front nine and in need of a solid back nine to have a chance of making one of the top spots.
And the Carnoustie Golf Club member did just that, carding back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15 before finishing off in style with a birdie on the 18th to give him -3 on the back nine and -2 overall.
Final Qualifying will take place at five 36-hole events at Gailes Links, Hillside, Notts (Hollinwell), Royal Cinque Ports and Woburn on Tuesday 4th July when 15 places in the final field at Royal Birkdale will be available to a total of 360 golfers.
LEADING SCORES AT PANMURE
Par 70
68 K McNicoll (Carnoustie) Q, W Porter (Carnoustie) (am) Q.
69 P Shields (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) Q, F Pintor (Spain) Q, D Alonso (Spain) reserve.
70 S Roger (Cruden Bay), J Duff (Newmachar), A Fisher (Newmachar).
71 M Clark (Kilmacolm), L Gaughan (Bathgate), K Nicol (Dunes GC), S Henderson (Kings Links), N Beattie (St Andrews) (am), L Allan (Alva), J Mullaney (unatt).
72 E Bradley (Mt Ellen) (am), J Johnston (Ayr Belleisle), W Booth (Pitlochry).
SELECTED SCORES
73 S Binning (Mearns Castle), A Fullen (Largs), G Hay (Grantown on Spey) (T20)
74 F McKenna (Caldwell) (24th).
75 L Vannet (Craibstone) (T25)
76 L Smart (Banchory) (am) (T30)
77 A Sutherland (Cupar) (am) (T32)