It was deja vu all over again for Scotland’s Scott Jamieson at the Scottish Open yesterday.
The man from Cathkin Braes qualified for the Open in 2011 courtesy of a top-10 finish at Castle Stuart. He found himself in the same position yesterday at Royal Aberdeen and responded in similar fashion, carding a final round of seven-under-par 64 to finish tied for eighth on 275.
The pressure was on with a 10ft putt for par required on the 18th but Jamieson held his nerve to become the seventh Scot to qualify for Hoylake and joins runner-up Kristoffer Broberg and Englishman Tyrell Hatton in qualifying for the major courtesy of their finish here.
Jamieson said: “I knew I had to hole it. I didn’t think I would finish in the top 10 if I missed it.
“I was obviously nervous playing the last hole knowing that a birdie would probably secure my place in the Open.
“When I got up to the green and saw where my ball was I thought: ‘If I can get down in two I will take my chances from there’.
“I thought going into this week there is no reason why I can’t have a good finish. I did it three years ago. That was probably in my mind at the start of the week.”
Jamieson’s round with Stephen Gallacher, who matched the course record of 63 set earlier in the day by Felipe Aguilar, was the lowest scoring of any pairing on the final day and it was clear the duo were feeding off the form of the other in a pulsating display of golf.