KEY POINTS:
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland - New Zealand golfer Steve Alker has qualified for next week's British Open.
With a brilliant course-equalling record five-under 65 in a 36-hole final qualifier in Scotland today (NZ time), he ensured he would join Michael Campbell in the Open next week.
Alker recorded six birdies
on the Panmure course just south of Carnoustie on the Scottish east coast to finish in a three-way tie for first place with a five-under-par two-round tally.
The 35-year old Hamilton-born player will now join former US Open champion Campbell as the only New Zealanders to tee up in next Thursday's British Open.
Alker was among the 384 players competing on four courses in the region chasing qualifying spots.
Only the three leading players from each venue earned the right to contest the oldest major.
After carding a level par-70 yesterday, Alker was out in the third group and immediately took advantage of the near perfect conditions by hitting an 73m lob-wedge second shot to about 60cm of the hole at the first for an birdie.
He then dropped a shot at the par-four fourth -- his only blemish of the round today.
Alker birdied the par-three fifth and then chipped in from about 12m for birdie at the next before further birdies on the 10th, 14th and 16th. He had also birdied the par-four 16th yesterday.
He endured a long six-hour wait before his place in the Open was confirmed.
He had ended the qualifier tied atop the board with English pair Kevin Harper (68 today) and Steve Parry (67).
Alker's round today equalled the course record set in the 1999 British Open qualifier by the then English amateur and now leading professional Luke Donald.
It is only the second time Alker has qualified for the British Open in his 12-year pro career, the first was in 1998 at Royal Birkdale.
"It's been a great two days and I'm just thrilled," he said.
"I set myself the number of getting to five under par when I teed off this morning, which meant that those guys who were ahead of me on the board also would have to shoot under par.
"It's all worked out well although it was a long wait. I reckon it was close to six hours before I finally got the confirmation."
Alker could have easily found himself in a four-man play-off for the three qualifying spots had former Australian amateur champion Eric Ramsay not bogeyed the last hole.
He said he spent the afternoon walking the British Open Carnoustie course without knowing at the time he would be teeing there in the 136th version of the championship.
"I just couldn't resist the urge to go over given it's only two miles (about 3.2km) up the road. But now that I know I am going to be a competitor there next week has got me very excited.
"I have been playing very well lately even though I haven't had all that competition golf."
Alker didn't use a caddie today.
"That's the first time I can remember having carried my own clubs in a major competition for a long time and you know the good thing is that I didn't give myself a bad yardage all day," he joked.
Alker will remain in Scotland until the open. His wife's Scottish-born parents live at Kinross, about an hour's drive from Carnoustie.
- NZPA
