Matthew Dodd-Berry

Matthew Dodd-Berry could have been forgiven for fearing that his dream of playing in The Open as an amateur had passed.

Final Qualifying for The 151st Open took on extra significance for Dodd-Berry. A Royal Liverpool member, he wanted nothing more than to play at his home course but it was fellow Hoylake hopeful Matthew Jordan who nabbed one of the five qualifying spots before taking the honour of hitting the first shot of the Championship.

Determined to get over the line this time, Dodd-Berry set his sights on The Amateur Championship – where the winner gains entry for golf’s original major - but was knocked out at the quarter-final stage.

He returned to West Lancs for one last roll of the dice, only to bogey three of his first four holes.

Against all odds, and in testing conditions, the 20-year-old recovered brilliantly to shoot 69 in his first round and did so again on his second 18 to punch a ticket to Royal Troon and seal a first appearance at a major.

“I thought The Amateur Championship was the best opportunity I’d have to play The Open during my amateur career, so to come to Final Qualifying and make it through was nice,” said Dodd-Berry.

“I played nicely last year, I just wasn’t mature enough to know how to get it done. Qualifying this year was my reward for good golf.

“It’s the greatest moment and everything I’ve worked towards. I did it a year late – last year would have been great at my home course but I’m ecstatic to be at Troon.”

If things had gone differently, Dodd-Berry could have been spending Open week on a warm weather pre-season tour having been a talented footballer in his youth.

As a junior, he shared the pitch alongside Joel Tabiner, who has already made more than 50 league appearances for Crewe Alexandra, and Adam Mayor, who earned a move from Morecambe to Millwall in January.

But the former Wirral Grammar School pupil quickly realised his best chance of sporting stardom lied on the golf course.

“Growing up, I played a lot of football and I used to play for Tranmere,” explained Dodd-Berry.

“I had trials at other clubs and I considered myself a pretty good footballer but I set that aside at some stage, picked up the clubs and gave my life to golf.

“It could have gone one of two ways.

“At one point I was playing football as well as rugby for my school and then golf, but I learnt that the rugby guys were getting bigger and I wasn’t, so I thought I would pass on that.

“I was a pretty good footballer but I was an elite golfer and I fancied my chances more in golf - there are some good footballers out there and I was just a good left-back.”

Nowadays, Dodd-Berry is honing his craft in America, transferring to Louisiana State University to continue working under coach Jake Amos following two successful years in his tutelage at East Tennessee State.

The foundations of Dodd-Berry’s game were laid by trips to Eastham Lodge Golf Club with his grandparents before he moved on to explore the rich array of stunning courses in and around Liverpool.

“The weather’s not there but we’ve got the golf courses,” he joked. “I love all the courses around here with Formby, Southport and Ainsdale, Birkdale and Wallasey.”

A first trip to Troon represents a new and exciting challenge, with Dodd-Berry among the 12 Silver Medal hopefuls aiming to succeed Christo Lamprecht as this year’s low amateur.

But ahead of what is arguably the biggest week of his fledgling career to date, there is a sense of childlike wonder from Dodd-Berry who is determined to soak up the occasion as he rubs shoulders with his childhood heroes.

“Tiger Woods is the obvious one,” he said. “I also loved Ernie Els’ swing growing up and as a golfer I’ve always loved Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka – those two really do it for me.

“I think their whole attitude is great, so they’re my role models.”