Goosen secures his place in the 144th Open at St Andrews

Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen was among the 12 qualifiers for the 144th Open at Final Qualifying, while Irishman Paul Dunne won the event at Woburn for the second year running.

Goosen overcame fatigue to come though a play-off and book his place at St Andrews, where he finished tied fifth in 2005 and sixth five years ago.

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The 46-year-old South African, who had only four hours’ sleep after spending Monday in Germany following his tied fourth place finish at the BMW International Open, birdied the first extra hole against English pair Adam Gee and Jamie Moul after they had tied on five-under-par.
I’ve walked a good few miles on that course and I love it" Of his return to St Andrews, Goosen said: “I won two Dunhill Cups there [with Ernie Els and David Frost in 1997 and 1998] an first played it when I was 18, so I’ve walked a good few miles on that course and I love it.”

22-year-old Dunne, from Greystones, won the event at Woburn by three strokes, following rounds of 70 and 65 on the Marquess Course which gave him a nine-under-par total of 135.

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A year ago Dunne, who plans to turn professional later this year, was the only amateur to survive the 36-hole Final Qualifying, played this year at Hillside, Royal Cinque Ports and Woburn in England and Gailes Links in Scotland.

The other players to qualify at Woburn was England’s Robert Dinwiddie, who finished second on his own at six-under-par and will finally make his Open debut after 16 attempts starting when he was only 15.

Two days after finishing runner-up at the US Senior Open in California, Colin Montgomerie, runner-up to Tiger Woods at St Andrews in 2005, missed out by four shots.

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