Shropshire golfers nearing Open Championship dream

Three Shropshire golfers are one step away from joining new golden boy Rory McIlroy and a plethora of world stars at next month's Open Championship.

Hawkstone Park amateur Ashley Chesters, Oswestry teenager Will Jones and Grant Edwards – a professional at Mile End – all progressed through regional qualifying for the third Major of the year yesterday.

They now head to local final qualifying next Tuesday and Wednesday – hosted by four courses around the Open venue of Royal St George's – aiming to grab the last remaining spots in the final field.

Jones, who plays out of Oswestry and lives at Llanfair Caereinion, claimed one of the 12 spots on offer at Enville yesterday thanks to a level par round of 72.

A birdie at the last guaranteed his progress and repaired the damage of a double bogey at the 17th after the 19-year-old had carded three successive birdies from the 12th.

It kept Jones on course for a 'job swap' at the Open after he was a scoreboard holder at St Andrews last year.

Chesters continued the inspired form which took him to the last 16 of the British Amateur Championship last week by carding a four-under-par round of 67 at Mere to be second qualifier.

The 21-year-old carded five birdies and a bogey and, like Jones, will tomorrow be heading off to Somerset play in the Brabazon Trophy – the English amateur strokeplay championship – ahead of Thursday's start.

A trip to Coventry proved worthwhile for Edwards as his round of 68 took him to the final stage as fourth of the 12 qualifiers at that venue.

By JAMES GARRISON