Connor Graham (R&A Photo)

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.

Click Here for Results

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.

Dundonald Links (Ayrshire, Scotland)

Located in the heart of Ayrshire’s golf coast, Dundonald Links is a spectacular venue that has recently hosted both the men’s and women’s Scottish Opens. The modern links was redesigned by Kyle Phillips in 2003 and has gone on to welcome events like the Boys’ Amateur and ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open. Four players earned Open debuts through Final Qualifying here in 2024, and another five spots are on the line in 2025.

Click Here for Results

Amateurs in the Field

• James Donaldson
• Kristian Bressum
• Alexander Farmer
• Harvey McDonald
• Gavin Tiernan
• Niall Shiels Donegan
• Oliver Smith
• Jack McDonald
• Oliver Mukherjee
• Connor Graham
• Euan Macdonald
• Archie Finnie
• Finlay Eager
• Lewis Gurr
• Rohan Neat
• Sam Nuttall
• Caolan Rafferty

Amateurs to Watch

Connor Graham – The top-ranked amateur in the Dundonald field, Graham is coming off a medalist performance at this same site last year and a win in stroke play at the 2025 and 2024 British Amateur. He’s a rising sophomore at Texas Tech with a win at the Scottish Open Amateur and a deep links pedigree.

Niall Shiels Donegan – Based in California and competing for Northwestern, the Scot Donegan made match play at back-to-back British Amateurs and finished T4 at the 2025 St Andrews Links Trophy. A steady performer who thrives in demanding conditions.

Gavin Tiernan – A freshman at ETSU, Tiernan was runner-up at this year’s British Amateur, had a podium finish at the East of Ireland Amateur, and a top-10 at his conference championship. His summer form makes him one of the hottest names in UK amateur golf.

Royal Cinque Ports (Deal, England)

A former Open host and proud links venue, Deal is known for its fierce winds and classic routing. It has hosted Final Qualifying and a handful of Amateur Championships before, and will again serve as one of four battlefields for a spot in The Open at Royal Portrush.

Click Here for Results

Amateurs in the Field

• Riccardo Fantinelli
• Sakke Siltala
• Harley Smith
• Chris Thomas
• Ville Virkkala
• Charlie Townsend
• Raúl Gómez
• Sebastian Cave
• Luke Poulter
• Kris Kim
• Callixte Alzas
• Jack Peters
• Tyler Weaver
• Josh McCartain
• Joseph Buenfeld
• Timmy Moncur
• Jack Lee
• Luke Stock
• Oliver Lewis-Perkins
• Carl Burrows
• Matthis Lefevre
• Gunnlaugur Arni Sveinsson
• Joel Tarry
• Sam Potter
• Max Hopkins
• Luke Sample
• Robert Wheeler
• Jack Heasman

Players to Watch

Luke Poulter – The Florida Gator sophomore won the Schenkel Invitational and finished T4 at NCAA Regionals. The son of Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter, he nearly qualified for the U.S. Open last month and could be one of this week’s breakout names. And his dad is playing here too!

Sakke Siltala – A standout at Texas State, Siltala finished T2 at NCAA Regionals, made the round of 16 at the British Amateur, and recently posted a top-3 finish at the European Amateur. He won the 2024 Finnish Amateur, and he's made massive strides in his game this year.

Tyler Weaver – Ranked No. 14 in the world, Weaver captured the Cabo Collegiate and finished runner-up at the ACC Championship this spring. He qualified for the U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he missed the cut, and has a rich history of success at the English Amateur Championship. He’s part of a strong Florida State squad and has elite pedigree.

West Lancashire (Liverpool, England)

One of England’s oldest clubs and a fixture of Open qualifying, West Lancashire is pure links at its best—shaped by the wind, the tide, and the timeless dunes of the northwest coast. Expect a grueling test and a field packed with young stars.

Click Here for Results

Amateurs in the Field

• Matthew Lever
• Cameron Walker
• George Holland
• Greg Holmes
• Luke Blocksidge
• Huey Cunningham
• Sam Johnston
• Jon Beesley
• Thomas Matthews
• Habib Khan
• Jack Bigham
• Jamie Van Wyk
• Ashley Mansell
• Max Schliesing
• Billy Dowling
• Tom Hughes
• Thomas Abom
• Freddie Dancox
• Joe Emery
• Tommy Morrison
• Richard Teder
• Max Ranson
• Caolan Burford

Players to Watch

Tommy Morrison – Ranked No. 11 in the WAGR, Morrison won the 2025 Amer Ari Invitational and the 2024 European Amateur. He made match play at this year's British Amateur and finished T12 in his title defense at the European Amateur. The University of Texas standout has already made an Open appearance and is seeking another.

Jack Bigham – The 2021 Boys’ Amateur champion is surging after a junior season at Florida State that featured top finishes at the Jones Cup (2nd), Lewis Chitengwa (8th), and a pair of top-15s in big collegiate events. He also reached the semis at the 2024 British Amateur.

Jamie Van Wyk – Winner of the 2025 Welsh Open Amateur and medalist at British Open Regional Qualifying, Van Wyk enters Final Qualifying in top form after several international top-10s this season.

From LIV veterans and major champions to breakout college stars and gritty career amateurs, Final Qualifying is the rawest path into golf’s most storied major. By Tuesday night, 20 names will be added to the Open Championship field. The rest? They’ll regroup and start the chase again.