Power’s Open hopes in last chance saloon in Scotland as Davis Thompson wins John Deere – Irish Golfer Magazine

Seamus Power never threatened to secure his place at next week’s Open Championship during the John Deere Classic but he at least heads to Scotland in decent form after closing with a final round of 65 for a share of 17th.

Power tees it up in the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in what is his last chance to punch his ticket to Royal Troon and join Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tom McKibbin, Pádraig Harrington and Liam Nolan.

The tournament, co-sanctioned with the PGA TOUR, is the 16th and last in The Open Qualifying Series (OQS), which has so far seen 41 players book their spots in the field for the final Major Championship of the year.

There are three places on offer to the leading three players, not already exempt, who make the cut at this week’s second Rolex Series event of the 2024 Race to Dubai schedule.

The Open, the oldest golf tournament in the world, is being held this year from July 18-21.

Brian Harman is set to defend his Open Championship title later this month in Ayrshire, having lifted the Claret Jug for his first Major victory at Royal Liverpool last year.

American Davis Thompson will be there after he cruised to his maiden PGA Tour title at TPC Deere Run to win by four shots on a tournament record 28-under-par after a 64.

Thompson rarely looked in doubt after a brilliant start saw him birdie five of his first six holes before a birdie on the ninth saw him turn in 29.

Luke Clanton shot 63 and became the first amateur to record top 10 finishes in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour since 1958. He tied for second place with Michael Thorbjornsen (63) and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan (64) with the latter securing his place at the Open.

“Qualifying for The Open was just an added incentive to this,” said Thompson.

“The goal was to win the golf tournament after getting off to a great start and I was able to finish it off.”