NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – Kurt Kitayama’s consolation prize for an upcoming call-up to the Genesis Scottish Open is a tee time at St. Andrews for The 150th Open.
As runner-up at the Renaissance Club, Kitayama won one of three places available in St. Louis. Andrews through the open classification series. Former Ryder Cup hero Jamie Donaldson and another TOUR rookie, Brandon Wu, won the other two.
“After my two previous experiences, the goal now is to try to make the cut,” said Kitayama, who moved up to 41st in the FedExCup with his third place finish in the top three of the season. “It’s a different kind of golf and you have to adapt.”
The Open places went to the top three finishers at the Genesis Scottish Open who were not yet exempt from the Open, as long as they also finished in the top 10 of the standings.
Trey Mullinax also qualified for the Open Championship by winning the Barbasol Championship on Sunday, when he overtook Kevin Streelman by a shot after birdie in the 72nd hole.
Kitayama finished just once behind Genesis Scotland Open winner Xander Schauffele after shooting 66 to take the club’s lead to 6 under. Kitayama, a two-time DP World Tour winner, will make his third appearance at the Open.
Donaldson used three rear birds to finish the T6. The 46-year-old Welshman thought a bogey at par-5 16 could have been costly, but did enough to secure a seventh appearance at the Open and his first since 2016. He tied at the 49th in the last Open in St. Andrews in 2015..
“It’s great to be able to play again against St. Andrews,” said Donaldson, who scored Europe’s most important point in the 2014 Ryder Cup. “It’s hard to know you have to post a score to get to the Open.” .
Both Donaldson and Wu shot 67 on Sunday to jump 15 places in the standings and tie for sixth. Wu finished more than two hours ahead of the leaders and watched as the players struggled with the difficult closing hole of the Renaissance Club. Rasmus Hojgaard and Alex Smalley made an 18 bogey to allow Wu to secure his second appearance at the Open.
Wu also played in the 2019 Open after traveling to Scotland to qualify. He became the first fan to qualify for both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship since Irishman Joe Carr in 1967.
“Honestly, it’s so amazing to play at The 150th Open in St. Andrews,” Wu said. “It’s very remarkable for me. I played well today, but I just needed a little help from others in the end.”