Lee Westwood was among three LIV Golfers who secured their places at Royal Portrush for the Open Championship in a couple of weeks.
The Englishman – who hasn’t played in the tournament since 2022 – was taking part in final qualifying at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire on Tuesday.
He played in Dallas a few days ago in a LIV Golf League event, but Westwood shook off jetlag to post scores of 70 and 67 to finish first at the event.
“Yeah, it feels great, but I’m also really tired,” said Westwood after securing a spot at the Open.
“It’s a while since I’ve played 36 holes in a day and I didn’t really give myself the best chance in terms of preparation.
“I had never played the course before, so walked it once I arrived. We got wet on the last four holes, good old Scotland raining on me. I think we got off the course about quarter past nine or something.
“But I ended up only getting an hour-and-a-half of sleep due to the jetlag. So, if I end up collapsing, you will know why.”
A remarkable day for Westwood and at 52, he will have another chance to challenge for a major championship.
Two other LIV Golfers managed to come through final qualifying also, as Dean Burmester and Lucas Herbert made it through.
Several LIV Golfers fail to qualify for the Open
Burmester finished top of the pile at Royal Cinque Ports, while Herbert won the West Lancashire event.
While those two and Westwood will look forward to the final major of the season in two weeks, it was a day to forget for some big names.
Indeed, Jinichiro Kozuma, Caleb Surratt and Anirban Lahiri all failed to make it through at Burnham and Barrow, with the latter missing out by a stroke.
At Royal Cinque Ports, David Puig, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Peter Uihlein failed to seal one of the five places that was on offer at the course.
Finally, at West Lancashire, Sam Horsefield walked off during his first round, meaning he was disqualified.
Elsewhere, Andy Ogletree and Harold Varner III couldn’t seal their places in Northern Ireland, finishing at +1 and -3 respectively for the event.
In total, 13 LIV Golfers began final qualifying across all four venues on Tuesday. At the end of a gruelling day comprising 36 holes, only three sealed their spots at the Open.
Next stop, LIV Golf Andalucia!
