Canadian golfer Stephen Ames, of Calgary, Alta., hits his approach shot on the 18th hole during a championship pro-am event at the Canadian Open PGA golf tournament at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday July 20, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl DyckDarryl Dyck/The Canadian Press
Stephen Ames of Calgary has qualified for the British Open, giving Canada at least one shot at the Claret Jug.
The 48-year-old booked his ticket to Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club on Monday by tying for third place at the Open's final international qualifying tournament. The top eight earned spots in golf's third major championship of the season.
Ames started the 36-hole qualifier at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Tex., on Monday morning with a one-under-par 69 in the first round, then scorched the same course during the afternoon with a 61 in the second round.
His overall total of 10-under 130 left him seven shots behind runaway winner Harris English, a PGA Tour rookie from the United States. English, 22, set himself up for his first Open appearance with a course-record and career-low 60 in the first round. Greg Owen of England placed second, at 13 under.
Ames, who shared third with Andres Romero of Argentina and Justin Hicks of the United States, told ESPNDallas.com that he nearly walked off the course after the morning round, thinking he was too far back to reach the top eight.
But an eagle and eight birdies against just one bogey in the sweltering afternoon session made him glad he stayed. He's returning to his favourite tournament after a two-year absence.
"For me the highlight of playing professional golf is playing the British Open," Ames told ESPNDallas.com. "It's by far the best, I think. I don't think anything else comes close."
In 11 career starts, he's had two top-10 finishes, with his best showing a tie for fifth place in 1997.
Qualifying for the 141st Open, which takes place in two months, is a bright spot in the Calgarian's otherwise lacklustre 2012 on the PGA Tour. He's made just five cuts in 12 starts, and was coming off a missed cut last Friday at the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
He'll likely be the only Canadian at Royal Lytham, although there are still remote chances a Canadian could gain entry through other ways before the Open begins July 19.
The others to qualify Monday were Daniel Chopra of Sweden and Americans Bob Estes and James Driscoll.
Canadians David Hearn, Adam Hadwin, Dustin Risdon and Roger Sloan also teed it up at Gleneagles on Monday but didn't make the top eight.