THE North-East will definitely have a golfer at the 146th Open Championship after Barnard Castle’s Rob Dinwiddie displayed the quality required in Final Qualifying.

Dinwiddie claimed one of the three places on offer at Royal Cinque Ports by finishing three shots behind leader Matthew Southgate in outright second spot.

It was not all good news. There was disappointment for Wynyard’s James Harper and Callum Tarren, Hartlepool’s Alex Wrigley, Whickham’s James Simpson, Masham’s Daniel Brown and Rockliffe Hall’s James Maw.

But Dinwiddie, who has been struggling to shine on the European and Challenge Tour after losing his full playing rights last year, showed his quality to claim one of the coveted places in the 71-man field on the Kent track.

It means he will make his second appearance at an Open from 17 attempts when he tees off at Royal Birkdale in two weeks’ time, two years after his first outing at St Andrews.

The 34-year-old was able to steady his nerves to turn up the heat when a frustrating opening nine during his second round today had threatened to derail his chances.

Dinwiddie had placed himself into strong contention in the first round with birdies at the third, fourth and fifth. He bogeyed the 18th and did so again in the second round (when he started at the tenth) as well as dropping a shot at 16.

But Dinwiddie found an extra gear after the turn to birdie the same three holes he did over his first 18 to climb back into the crucial top three along with Thorpe Hall’s Southgate and Canadien Austin Connelly.

More to follow ...