Wesley Bryan To Compete in Last-Chance Qualifier For a Spot in the British Open

Wesley Bryan is among the 12 players confirmed for the Last-Chance Qualifier, a new event introduced this year offering one final route into the field for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. The stroke play event will get under way at 7.30am BST on Monday 13 July, contested over 18 holes on the Southport links. Just a solitary player will qualify from the field.

Among the favourites are Aldrich Potgieter, who claimed the Amateur Championship title at 17 in 2022 and has gone on to play two Opens, and Matti Schmid, coming off a tied-fourth finish at this year's PGA Championship. Four other players — Joe Dean, Adri Arnaus, Andrew Wilson and Angel Hidalgo — have Open starts on their record and are trying to book another appearance, while Charles Huntzinger, John Gough and Marcus Helligkilde are all chasing a first Open start of their own after Final Qualifying didn't go their way. Two amateurs round out the group: Matt Moloney, who was runner-up at this year's Amateur Championship, and Sam Easterbrook of England.

Bryan's inclusion comes after he missed out on qualifying by one shot at Final Qualifying last week. Alongside brother George, he was in the mix until deep into the second round of the two-round event, and ultimately required only a par on 18 to advance through to a playoff. Unfortunately, a missed eight-footer saw him bogey the hole and miss out on the coveted top-five by a single shot.

But he earned a second chance after meeting the exemption criteria set out by the R&A last December, which allows one more opportunity at qualification for players who missed out at Final Qualifying by a single shot. The R&A has framed the new format as part of a wider effort to give fans more to watch during Open week, with the qualifying round open to spectators and tracked live on the tournament's site.

Bryan's appearance in the field follows a busy stretch for the Bryan Bros, with the much-anticipated Your Golf Tour having been released over the past fortnight (if you’ve already watched, take a look at our MVP Votes for the first tournament at Pursell Farms). Monday's result at Southport will determine whether he adds an Open appearance to that stretch, with the round deciding the final place in the 154th Open field, which kicks off next Thursday.