Jack McDonald

Grandson of Gordon Cosh, who played in the famous “Duel in the Sun” Open at Turnberry in 1977, Jack McDonald will make his Championship debut at Royal Troon. 

This is not the first time McDonald has followed in his grandfather’s footsteps.

In 1965, Cosh won three of his four games as the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side drew in Baltimore – the first time America had not won since the series began in 1922. McDonald played the same match at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2015 as part of a side that beat a United States line-up, which included Bryson DeChambeau, by their record seven-point margin.

He is now making his own Open bow after sinking a birdie putt of around 15 feet at the first hole of a three-for-one play-off in the 36-hole Final Qualifying event at Dundonald Links on July 2.

Ranked 956th in the world going into the event, he is a member of Kilmarnock Barassie, situated right next to Royal Troon, a course he first played when he was 12. Knowing The Open was coming up, he had been walking his dog along the adjoining beach taking in all the infrastructure.

As a 19-year-old amateur, he made the cut at the 2012 Scottish Open. McDonald is also a former winner on the EuroPro Tour and last year a runner-up on the Challenge Tour.