Luis Masaveu

Found himself in a three-for-one play-off for the last of four Royal Troon spots in the 36-hole Final Qualifying competition at Royal Cinque Ports on July 2, despite playing with an old set of clubs and without a three-wood after his bag was lost in Denmark following a tournament two weeks earlier.

The two players he was up against included Branden Grace, holder of the record score at The Open with his 62 at Royal Birkdale, but it was the 21-year-old amateur who survived thanks to a 20-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole. He therefore joined his Madrid clubmate Jaime Montojo, who had finished joint second on the same course.

Masaveu represented Spain in the last two Eisenhower Trophy World Championships and lifted the Portuguese Amateur title this year as well as reaching the final of the Spanish Amateur.

He was also joint runner-up in last season’s Lytham Trophy and at the 2022 Spanish Open on the DP World Tour (won by Jon Rahm) he was a superb 34th.

“Every child who is dedicated to golf dreams of doing the same as Rahm, who has won a major and has been No1 in the world,” said Masaveu.