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Unheralded Australian golfer Ryan McCarthy will compete in the British Open after qualifying through a tournament in Scotland.
Australian golfer Ryan McCarthy, ranked No.1342 in the world, has qualified for the prestigious British Open by claiming third at a pre-tournament in Scotland.
The 27-year-old McCarthy completed his two rounds at the qualifier at Gailes Links Golf Course in a four-way tie for third at two-under-par.
He won the subsequent four-player play-off to claim the last of three qualifying spots at the tournament, finding a birdie on the first hole.
The Tasmanian finished behind Scotland's Connor Syme and American Julian Suri, who also qualified by tying for first at four-under.
McCarthy turned professional in 2012 and has spent most of his career on the PGA Tour of Latinoamerica.
He won the 2009 Tasmanian Open and was runner-up at the Australian Master of the Amateurs in 2011, while his best result this year was making the cut at the Molino Canuelas Championship in Argentina.
Meanwhile, Ian Poulter earned his way back to Royal Birkdale and the footprints he left behind a decade ago at the British Open.
Poulter shot rounds of 70-68 at Woburn Golf Club, to finish behind India's Shiv Kapur.
"Job done today," Poulter tweeted.
Kapur shot a 65 in the second round and was the medallist at Woburn and returns to the British Open for the first time since 2013.
The third spot went to Toby Tree, who along with Poulter finished two shots behind Kapur.
Poulter had his best major at Royal Birkdale in 2008 when he was runner-up to Padraig Harrington.
He holed a 15-foot par putt on the final hole that he thought might be enough to get into a playoff until Harrington pulled away with a strong finish marked by a five-wood to four feet for eagle on the 17th hole. Harrington won by four shots.
Poulter left his own indelible mark at Royal Birkdale. He worked so hard on his putting that week that he stood for hours in the same spot on the putting green on the eve of the championship, so long that it killed the grass beneath his shoes and a brown shade of footprints was left behind.
Other qualifiers were Haydn McCullen, Nicholas McCarthy and Adam Hodkinson (qualified at Hillside), Mark Foster, Joe Dean and Laurie Canter (qualified at Honninwell) and Matthew Southgate, Robert Dinwiddie and Canada's Austin Connelly (qualified at Royal Cinque Port).
The British Open will be held at Royal Birkdale on July 20-23.
