Dominic Clemons

After the huge disappointment of losing the final of the Amateur Championship on June 22 – places in the US Open, Masters and The Open go to the winner – Clemons produced a superb response 10 days later, booking a place at Royal Troon by sharing top spot with Justin Rose in the 36-hole Final Qualifying competition at Burnham & Berrow.

The 22-year-old’s rounds of 66 and 68 were matched by the 2013 US Open champion as they finished on eight-under-par, three clear of the rest of the field chasing four spots in golf’s oldest major.

Going into the event the American college player admitted: “My mindset wasn’t particularly good. It was weird – it was reminding me of the final I lost. I was saying that if I’d played better I wouldn’t even be here, but I played well.”

As he did at the start of last month, storming to an astonishing 17-shot victory in the Scottish Men's Open stroke play championship at Muirfield.

Two rounds of 65 there were followed by a closing 62 over the famed Open links. It was not his first success in Scotland – he captured the Scottish boys under-14 title at Craigielaw in 2016.