8:00am Saturday 27th June 2009
By Ned Payne
SWINDON golf star Martin Sell is just two rounds away from lining up against Tiger Woods at next month’s Open Championship after squeaking through a regional qualifying event at Ferndown Golf Club, in Dorset.
The 30-year-old Wrag Barn pro sank a birdie at the final hole to card 70 and earn himself a spot at final qualifying in Glasgow in just over a week’s time.
If successful, Sell would join world number one Woods and Swindon’s two-time Ryder Cup star David Howell - a good friend of his - in the field at the major championship at Turnberry on July 16-19.
It completed a good few days for Sell as he clinched the Jamega Pro Golf Tour event at Broome Manor on Tuesday, claiming his £1,750 prize in the process.
Sell said: “I was going into it (Open qualifying) in a bit of form.
“To be honest I would have been disappointed if I hadn’t got through the first stage. But I’m delighted to have got through, although I left it a bit late.”
To take his place alongside golf’s biggest names, he must come through two final rounds of qualifying at Glasgow Gailes Links on July 6-7.
The likes of former Open runner-up Jean Van de Velde and Northern Ireland veteran Ronan Rafferty will also compete, with only the top four going through to the event proper.
But in his current vein of form, Sell is confident he has the ability to take his place at Turnberry.
“I’m playing well, there’s not a lot of spots available but I feel I’ve got a good chance of grabbing one of those,” he said.
“It was one of my goals at the start of the year, getting through Open qualifying is everyone’s goal, it’s a dream to play in the Open.”
Before he flies up to Scotland, Sell is due to play at the Stoke By Nayland tournament next week, a Europro Tour event at Colchester.
He said he would use the weekend prior to Open qualifying to get at least one full round in, on a course he has never played before.
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