All East Lancs golfers at the Open Regional Qualifying

Regional Qualifying for the 151st Open Championship gets underway at the crack of dawn tomorrow (June 26), almost 2,000 golfers across the UK tee off with the goal of securing a place at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake on the Wirral.

Among them are nine club professionals and amateurs from East Lancashire golf clubs, who will tee it up at courses around the country, along with a whole host of other players from the county.

Notable names in the fields include European Tour winners Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Paul Dunne, Chase Koepka – brother of reigning USPGA Champion Brooks – and Ivan Ballesteros, nephew of legendary Spaniard Seve.

The lowest scoring players will then advance to Final Qualifying and be just two rounds from playing alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and reigning Open Champion Cameron Smith from July 20 to 23.

McIlory was victorious the last time the Open came to Hoylake in 2014, and will be among the favourites to lift the Claret Jug come championship Sunday.

Rory McIlory won the last Open at Hoylake

The biggest East Lancashire contingent will be playing at Hesketh Golf Club in Southport.

Harry Lord and Jake Paolo-Yeoman from Rossendale GC will be taking part, along with Blackburn GC’s Jordan Brown, Simon Lucas of Longridge GC, Mark Millhouse of Turton GC, and Rhys Leggett from Blackburn-based Lancashire Golf Academy.

James Robinson – known for his appearances on YouTube golfer Rick Shiels’ videos – of St Anne’s Old Links GC also tees it up at Hesketh.

Pleasington GC has two representatives aiming to make it to the Open; Callum Metcalfe who tees it up at Caldy Golf Club in Birkenhead, and John Blahuta who is travelling to Alwoodley Golf Club in Leeds. There he will be joined by Longridge GC’s Mark Young.

Cameron Smith won the 150th Open at St Andrew's last summer

If they are successful they move on to Final Qualifying on Tuesday, July 4, where they will play at either West Lancashire Golf Club in Liverpool, Royal Porthcawl in Wales, Royal Cinque Ports on the Kent coast, or Dundonald Links in Scotland.

Golf fans are welcome to head along to the courses where qualifying is taking place to support golfers taking part.

The full list of Lancashire golfers taking part, and their club, in 151st Open Regional Qualifying

Alwoodley - Leeds

Harrison Thomas-Cooper (St Anne’s Old Links)

John Blahuta (Pleasington)

Simon Wilson (Lytham Green Drive)

Michael Zwarts (Lytham Green Drive)

Jamie Van Wyk (Royal Lytham & St Anne’s)

Jordan Kellett (Fleetwood)

Will McDermott (West Lancashire)

Jack Kenmare (Fairhaven)

Andy Byrne (West Lancs)

Chris Storey (Chorley)

Mark Young (Longridge)

Caldy - Birkenhead

Jake Whalley-Grundy (West Lancs)

Calum Metcalfe (Pleasington)

Andrew Johnson (West Lancs)

Kieran Hogarth (Royal Lytham & St Anne’s)

Thomas Wilson (West Lancs)

Jack Wiggans (Chorley)

Stephen Pritchard (West Lancs)

Jason Renton (West Lancs)

Goswick - Berwick-on-Tweed

Mark Walsh (Lancaster)

Hesketh - Southport

Alex Webb (Lancaster)

Ethan Davies (Royal Lytham & St Anne’s)

Jake Wiltshire (Ormskirk)

James Rooney (West Lancs)

Jordan Brown (Blackburn)

Simon Lucas (Longridge)

Lee Williams (Fairhaven)

Dylan Astin (Royal Lytham & St Anne’s)

Andrew Palmer (Chorley)

William Walne (Preston)

Michael Casey (West Lancs)

Rhys Leggett (Lancs Golf Academy)

Richard Bowman (Heron’s Reach, Blackpool)

Andrew Haswell (Ormskirk)

James Robinson (St Anne’s Old Links)

Jack Clarkson (Lancaster)

James Nash (Ormskirk)

Michael Kilgallon (St Anne’s Old Links)

Jake Paolo-Yeoman (Rossendale)

Shamus Martin (Royal Lytham & St Anne’s)

Mark Millhouse (Turton)

Harry Lord (Rossendale)

Kilmarnock (Barassie) - Scotland

John Wilding (Heysham)

Lindrick - Worksop

Dave Crosby (Fleetwood)

Curtis Dean (Blackpool North Shore)

Noah Cambridge (Royal Lytham & St Anne’s)

You can follow the progress of Regional Qualifying on The Open’s website and social media.