Out of more than 80 amateurs chasing 20 spots at The 153rd Open Championship, only four punched their ticket through Final Qualifying, each earning a major debut after two intense rounds. UNC Charlotte’s Frazer Jones (Burnham & Berrow), Texas Tech standout Connor Graham (Dundonald Links), English talent and fellow UNC Charlotte star Sebastian Cave (Royal Cinque Ports), and Estonian breakout Richard Teder (West Lancashire) survived deep, international fields packed with professionals.

Teder’s path was the most dramatic, holing out for eagle in a playoff to seal his place at Royal Portrush. Among those who came up short were Luke Poulter and his father Ian, both finishing one-under at RCP, and a top-ranked amateur Tommy Morrison, who failed to advance from West Lancashire despite a hot start and standout résumé.

Burnham & Berrow: UNC Charlotte standout Frazer Jones made four straight birdies on his final nine to vault into contention, firing rounds of 69-66 to finish in 4th place at 7-under. The Englishman won his regional qualifier to advance to final qualifying, and now stands as the only amateur to advance from this site. Will Tate and Freddie Turnell played well but came up short, with Tate finishing T7 after rounds of 68-70. Turnell finished T21 after rounds of 73–70. Justin Walters medaled at 9-under, with 2024 Amateur champion and newly minted pro Jacob Skov Olesen and PGA Tour Pro Harry Hall just behind.

Dundonald Links: Connor Graham, ranked No. 47 in WAGR, birdied the first playoff hole to earn a spot in his first Open Championship. The Texas Tech standout had earlier fired rounds of 71–69 to finish 4-under, tied with fellow Scot Paul O’Hara. Amateurs Kristian Bressum and Niall Shiels Donegan each finished 3-under, one shot short of the playoff. Lee Westwood medaled with rounds of 70–67.

Royal Cinque Ports: English amateur and fellow UNC Charlotte standout alongside Jones, Sebastian Cave advanced to The Open with rounds of 67–72 to finish solo fourth at 5-under. LIV Golf’s Dean Burmester won the site at 10-under with a closing 64. Amateur Tyler Weaver came up just short after rounds of 69–72 (3-under), missing a playoff by one shot. Luke Poulter opened with a 67 but closed with 76, finishing 1-under alongside his father Ian Poulter, short of the cut line. 

West Lancashire: Estonian standout amateur Richard Teder looked poised to qualify but made double bogey on the 18th hole after hitting his second drive into gorse. He dropped to 5-under, falling into a 4-for-2 playoff that quickly turned into a 3-for-1 playoff before Teder holed out from the fairway for eagle, solidifying his place in the 153rd Open Championship. Teder was the only amateur to qualify from West Lancashire, and is now the first Estonian to ever qualify for the Open Championship. Lucas Herbert medaled at the site after rounds of 69-67, finishing at 8-under.

Burnham & Berrow (Somerset, England)

A classic links nestled on the Somerset coast, Burnham & Berrow is no stranger to elite competition, having hosted countless amateur and professional events dating back to its founding in 1896. Known for its undulating fairways and thick dunes, the course presents a stern test that rewards precision and creativity. The club has hosted Final Qualifying for The Open multiple times and stands ready once again to send five players on to Royal Portrush.

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Amateurs in the Field

• James Ilsley
• Charlie Box
• Ed Featherstone
• Freddie Turnell
• Harry Richardson
• Joshua Millington
• Matteo Cristoni
• Reggie Fear
• Luke Jenkins
• Charlie Preston
• Ian Fritz
• Max Weaver
• Levi Desmond
• Dominic Clemons
• Jake Plumb
• Charlie Forster
• Frazer Jones
• Will Tate
• Jamie Dean

Three Amateurs to Watch

Freddie Turnell – The Burnham & Berrow member returns to his home club fresh off a 4-under 66 to earn medalist honors at the North Hants regional qualifier. Turnell just completed his freshman season at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is set to transfer to the University of Illinois. He’ll be comfortable here, and the results suggest he’s a serious contender.

Matteo Cristoni – Exempt into Final Qualifying, the Italian standout has built a strong amateur résumé. He placed T4 at the European Amateur this summer and has reached match play at the British Amateur four years running. During his time at Arkansas–Little Rock, Cristoni stacked up numerous top-10 and top-20 finishes and enters this week in sharp form.

Dominic Clemons – Clemons is the highest-ranked amateur at Burnham & Berrow and has one of the most decorated résumés in the field. The recent Alabama graduate made a deep run to the final of the 2023 British Amateur and returned this year to reach match play again. He was the 2023 Scottish Open Amateur champion (by 17 shots at Muirfield) and shared medalist honors at this very site last year, tying Justin Rose. A proven performer in links golf.