Jack aims for place at Troon

JACK Madden is two rounds of golf away from sealing a place at this month’s Open Championship at Troon.

The 24-year-old was one of five Tyrone players involved in a pre-qualifying competition at Baltray last Monday when his fellow Dungannon men, Dwayne Mallon, who missed out on a play-off place by one stroke after recording a one-under-par round of 71 in joint 10th, brothers Jude and Jack Kane and Omagh’s Eamonn McAleer were also aiming to progress.

Madden was on a different level however, winning the tournament at County Louth Golf Club, finishing first in a field of over 130 with a stunning score of 66 for a six-under-par total which has propelled him into final qualifying which takes place tomorrow (Tuesday) at Burnham and Berrow in Somerset where he is hoping to be one of the five qualifiers from a field of 72 which will include several LIV Tour players and one Justin Rose, the European Ryder Cup star, who is an Olympic gold medalist and a former US Open champion.

His performance at Baltray came a week after another stunning effort at Foxhills Golf Club in Surrey where he finished second on four-under-par to qualify as one of six from a 140 player field for a place in August’s International Series England event on the Asian Tour, which comes with a $2 million purse!

“To do it two Monday’s in a row is pretty nice,” beamed the Arkansas State University graduate. “I’ve something to look forward to for August when there will be a few LIV guys playing, so that will be good.

“And I played well at Baltray, I played really well actually.

“I didn’t hit the ball great, I hit it OK, but it was more the mindset, just getting it round and I held a few putts too, so that was really that. I think it took a few people by surprise and I don’t think too many people were expecting too many to break 70 even. I think a few jaws dropped when I came in!

“It was nice because I hadn’t played in Ireland for quite a while, so it was nice to see a few old names.

“It means a lot to have won and to have made it through to the final stage of qualifying.”

While Jack admits he has allowed his mind to wander beyond Tuesday and the ‘if’ of earning a place at The Open, he is determined to block out that distraction in order to, hopefully, achieve what would be a long-held dream.

First, though, he has to tackle two rounds of Burnham and Berrow Golf Club, a course he had never even heard of until last week.

“I’ll give it a good go and we’ll see where we end up,” he said. “I’m in a good spot mentally and I’m playing well and all that craic, so we’ll just go and try to play the way I know I can.

“The possibility of qualifying does play around a bit in the back of your mind but the attitude in Baltray was to treat it as if you were playing the East of Ireland [Amateur Championship], don’t change anything that you would usually do and treat it as if you were playing with Dwayne [Mallon] and the two Kane’s around Dungannon.

“That’s probably the best way to go about it but obviously Tuesday will be a bit different with Justin Rose and a few LIV guys are playing.

“But that has been the approach all year and it’s carried me well so far. And I’ve nothing to lose, no-one is expecting me to qualify, so I’ll just roll with it because I’d say when people saw my on the tee sheet for Baltray they wouldn’t have expected me to win by two.

“I’m looking forward to it, the experience and rolling with it.”