TOUR Insider: Late arrivals secure spots in Open field
By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents
Three Americans -- Bryce Molder, Paul Goydos and Brandt Snedeker -- punched their tickets for the 138th Open Championship on Sunday at the AT&T National. Another 12 spots were determined on Tuesday in Glasgow during three 36-hole local qualifiers.
There's still a reason to have your passport ready on Sunday, though. That's because the highest finisher among the top five at the John Deere Classic makes the field for the season's third major championship at Turnberry.
The same goes for someone at the Barclays Scottish Open on the European Tour. The 90-minute commute from Loch Lomond to the western coast of Scotland is a little easier than the one from Silvas, Ill., though.
Just ask Sean O'Hair, who made the 2005 John Deere Classic his breakthrough victory on the PGA TOUR. He didn't own a passport, but was able to procure an expedited one and landed in St. Andrews some 48 hours later. He went on to tie for 15th.
Jay Williamson, who tied for second behind Kenny Perry last year, was 2008's last-minute addition. John Deere Classic winners Jonathan Byrd (2007) and John Senden (2006) also crossed the pond.
Molder will be making his Open Championship debut after finishing fourth at the AT&T National. He topped a special six-event money list that began at THE PLAYERS Championship and ended Sunday to earn one of those two spots.
Paul Goydos finished second on that mini-money list to earn a second straight Open Championship spot. Snedeker will be making a return trip, too, after finishing fifth at Congressional and nabbing the spot for a top-five finisher there not otherwise qualified like the one that's available at the John Deere Classic.
Snedeker and Molder would like nothing better than to head to Scotland with even more momentum, too. Both are playing at the TPC Deere Run -- Molder has top-25s in his last four starts, including a tie for second in Memphis, while Sneds appears back on track after missing seven weeks due to a rib injury.
Molder and Snedeker are among 23 players in the John Deere Classic field who are already preparing their palates for fish and chips. Among the others are recent U.S. Open champ Lucas Glover and a pair of two-time winners this season, Zach Johnson and Kenny Perry, who also defends.
That means there many players with a lot to gain -- not the least of which could be their first TOUR victory, a two-year exemption and a ton of frequent flyer miles.
Judging by the way he's played of late, Matt Bettencourt just might earn that final British Open spot. The rookie has proved that tie for fifth at the Memorial Tournament wasn't a fluke with a tie for 10th at the U.S. Open and a tie for 11th at a future U.S. Open venue last week.
Ryan Moore matched Bettencourt's finishes at the U.S. Open and the AT&T National. And if that's not convincing enough, those were bookends to a tie for fourth at the Travelers Championship.
And what about Senden? The 2006 champion has four top-10s this year, including two in his last five starts. Given what happened three years ago, the Aussie certainly understands the need to keep his passport up to date.
FEDEXCUP CHANGES
When Tiger Woods won the AT&T National last week he replaced Perry at the top of the FedExCup standings. He's not playing this week, though, and Perry practically owns TPC Deere Run with a win last year and five top-10s in nine starts.
"This is like a home court for me," Perry said after his victory.
So don't be surprised to another lead change in the hotly contested race for the $10 million bonus.
A solo third or better would put Perry, who trails by 177 points, back at No. 1 while a victory would vault Johnson back into the top spot. Steve Stricker, who currently ranks fifth and Glover, who's seventh, could move into second with a win.
YOUNG GUNS
The next generation of players is well-represented at the John Deere Classic.
Mike Van Sickle, a recent Marquette grad who won the Byron Nelson Award as the nation's top collegiate player, headlines the list. His father, Gary, who writes for Sports Illustrated, will caddy for him.
Clemson junior Kyle Stanley, who survived the cut at the U.S. Open and tied for 19th at the Travelers Championship the following week, also will be playing along with Jack Newman, a rising senior at Michigan State and the winner of the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links.
Philip Francis, who recently transferred from UCLA to Arizona State, is making his third start at the John Deere Classic. He began the final round last year tied for 11th and finished in a tie for 34th.
Zach Sucher, a recent University of Alabama-Birmingham graduate, was a two-time All-American and earned Conference-USA Golfer of the Year honors in 2008. He plans to remain amateur at least until after he finds out whether he's made the Walker Cup team.
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