Golf: Falkirk's Graeme Robertson earns 151st Open spot after strong showing in final qualifying phase event

On a day when major winners Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell were among those to miss out as four venues around Britain staged 36-hole shoot-outs, it was job done for the Glenbervie ace, who only found out on Saturday that he’d secured a spot in the field after losing out in a play-off in his Regional Qualifier at Goswick and finding himself in an alternate spot.

Robertson holed out from almost 40ft to edge out fellow Scot Craig Ross on the fifth play-off hole for the last of four places available in Ayrshire, and as a result he will now join six other Scots, including Michael Stewart who qualified out of the same group, on The Open Championship field.

"It's a dream come true," said 35-year-old Robertson speaking after his qualifying success.

“I did it the hard way and I’m waiting for it to sink in. Unbelievable. I was thinking about Hoylake all the way round. Non stop. I still can’t believe it is going to happen. I’m getting old. It’s a dream.

"I played golf as an amateur to a good level and then stopped it for six or seven years and worked full-time and didn't play a lot of golf.

"I'm just coming back to it so if you had said to me when I was sitting behind a computer desk 7:30 to 5, Monday to Friday, that I would be playing in The Open there's no way I would have believed it.

"It hasn't quite sunk in yet but it feels good. I can't wait for it to happen."

The other Scots lining up at the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool (20-23 July) are Bob MacIntyre, Ewen Ferguson, Richie Ramsay and Connor Syme.